Local Mayors Receive Florida League of Cities Recognition

ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The Florida League of Cities (FLC) has recognized three of Alachua County’s municipal leaders as 2022 Home Rule Heroes for their work during the 2022 legislative session.

City of Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper, City of Hawthorne Commissioner Matthew Surrency and City of Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe were among the 150 municipal officials recognized for the award. Each of these people is being recognized for their work and advocacy efforts during the 2022 Legislative Session.

Coerper, Marlowe and Surrency worked throughout the session to promote local voices making local choices, protect the Home Rule powers of Florida’s municipalities and advance the League’s legislative agenda.

“I am greatly humbled to be selected for this honor,” Coerper said. “I’ve always felt the government closest to its community should be the one making decisions based on the best interests of that community and the Home Rule allows municipalities like Alachua to do just that.”

“I am so honored to be a recipient of this prestigious award, and I will continue to work hard to protect local authority,” said Marlowe.

“It’s an honor always to be recognized for the work that we do on the local, state and national level to advocate for keeping policy making at the local level,” Surrency said.

“On behalf of the League and its legislative team, we’re very proud to present this year’s Home Rule Hero Awards to a deserving group of municipal leaders,” said FLC Director of Legislative Affairs Casey Cook. “We had a record number of Home Rule Heroes this year, which shows the dedication and impact of local officials on behalf of their residents and businesses in protecting local decision-making. These local officials were constantly engaged and actively advocating for their communities throughout the 2022 Legislative Session. They’re heroes for Home Rule and we thank them for their efforts.”

Home Rule is the ability for a city to address local problems with local solutions with minimal state interference. Home Rule Hero Award recipients are local government officials, both elected and nonelected, who consistently responded to the League’s request to reach out to members of the legislature and help give a local perspective on an issue.

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