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Monroe County | monroecounty-fl.gov
Legislative Affairs www.monroecounty-fl.gov/legislativeaffairs The Office of Legislative Affairs regularly performs the following functions:
Director: Lisa Tennyson 305.292.4444 Tennyson-Lisa@ monroecounty-fl.gov Employees: 1
• Develops Monroe County’s annual federal and
state legislative agendas, identifies priority legislation and appropriations, determines specific strategies for achieving those priorities. • Advances County’s federal and state legislative priorities while guarding against legislation with negative impacts for Monroe County. • Directs and manages federal and state lobbyists, assigns tasks, confers weekly, and tracks progress. • Monitors congressional and state legislation, agency regulatory actions, preemptions, and budgets for potential impacts to Monroe County; advises Commissioners and staff with appropriate actions. • Schedules and manages legislator and agency meetings, fly-ins, etc. and prepares itineraries, written materials, and legislative packages. • Prepares all written legislative communications including talking points, trifolds, leave-behinds, and resolutions. • Represents Monroe County in statewide and national legislative organizations, like FAC, Small County Coalition, Climate Compact, Gulf Coast Parishes and Counties, and NACO. • Informs and apprises municipalities of Monroe County’s federal and state legislative agendas. The Office oversees and monitors: • Restore Act Program in response to the Deep
Water Horizon Oil Spill in 2010 • Local Multi-Year Implementation Plan and monitoring of the Gulf Consortium’s State Expenditure Plan, management of local pot and Consortium pot grant funds, and development and submission of applications for this funding • Everglades Restoration and protection of Florida Bay • Licensing and remediation activities related to the Turkey Point Nuclear Facility.
2021 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA This year the County’s federal priorities include:
• COVID-19 Response and Recovery: Support an additional $250 billion in direct federal assistance to all local governments. • Hurricane Recovery: Support recovery efforts from hurricanes and other disasters, including the expedited processing of FEMA reimbursements to local governments. • Support efforts to improve the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Oppose reauthorization legislation that would be detrimental to policyholders and local governments. • Higgs Beach Land and Water Conservation Grant Issues: Support inclusion of report language in the Appropriations bill to clarify that elements of a park that predate an original LWCF grant – in Monroe County’s case a restaurant – should not be factored into such conversion decisions. • Water Quality: Support full funding of the Florida Keys Water Quality Improvements Program via the Army Corps of Engineers Work Plan and efforts and activities related to canal restoration. • Support full, long-term mandatory funding of the Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, which enables local governments to rely on PILT funds when budgeting. • Support efforts to improve the health of Florida Bay by restoring adequate fresh water flows through the Everglades, including further modification to Tamiami Trail. • Oppose oil drilling and exploration, lease expansion and seismic testing on federal lands and waters. • Additional priorities can be found on the website.
