Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig and Loxahatchee Groves Town Manager Jamie Titcomb were among more than 150 municipal officials recognized by the Florida League of Cities as “Home Rule Heroes” for their work during the 2022 legislative session.
Home Rule Hero award recipients are local government officials, both elected and non-elected, 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, according to a press release from the Florida League of Cities. They worked throughout the legislative session to promote local voices making local choices, protect the home rule powers of Florida’s municipalities and advance the league’s legislative agenda.
Gerwig and Titcomb both said the recognition is “all in a day’s work” as public officials.
“Sometimes I get it, and sometimes I don’t,” Gerwig told the Town-Crier. “On behalf of municipalities, I go to Florida League of Cities Days in Tallahassee and talk to the legislators about home rule issues and e-mail them when things are going awry.”
She explained that one big issue this year was controlling smoking in parks and at beaches.
“We were asking to be able to control that,” she said. “We did get that. I’m not sure if the governor has signed it yet, but it was the one thing that we were actually saying, ‘Do this.’ They were previously saying we could not control that outdoors, and it’s OK to smoke no matter where you were, but at parks, we want our children to be able to play sports without getting second-hand smoke. That was one of the things that was pushed by the league that did get through.”
Gerwig said that she loves the Florida League of Cities for the training it offers, the camaraderie and the sharing of information.
“The Florida League of Cities has made me 100 times a better representative of the village than I could ever have been without their help,” she said.
Titcomb said the award is given to officials who have made a difference during the legislative session in Tallahassee in protecting home rule or were successful in changing legislation that would have compromised home rule initiatives.
“It’s recognition of being involved in the process and working for the collective cause of favorable legislation toward local government and local decisions as it relates to legislation that’s crafted in Tallahassee and trickles down upon us,” he said. “In my case, I would not tie it to a particular piece of legislation. Because of my longevity in the system, I just tend to facilitate and leverage others into the process in terms of being effective and shortcutting the steps and the stops to be effective in the advocacy and outcomes of the legislation. I kind of work in a teacher/mentor role.”
Florida League of Cities Director of Legislative Affairs Casey Cook thanked all the honorees for the work they do.
“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,” Cook said. “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.”
Visit www.floridaleagueofcities.com to learn more about the Florida League of Cities.
