Local Voices United Expands Grassroots Advocacy

Informed residents can easily communicate with state legislators

by Scott Dudley, Florida League of Cities

I think we can all agree that the wide range of differences in the 411 municipalities in Florida is one of our state’s greatest strengths. When you live in or, as many have done in recent years, move to Florida, you can choose to live in a small town, a large city, at the beach or inland – whichever fits the needs of you and your loved ones. Even within categories such as population size, there are a lot of differences in terms of history, community, amenities and governance.

The one thing that is consistent throughout all Florida municipalities is the desire to have local residents make decisions about their hometowns.

While the Florida League of Cities has always advocated for local decision-making on behalf of our municipalities, a new program – Local Voices United – gives citizens the information, tools and resources to advocate for the issues that impact their hometowns at a grassroots level. These issues range from rules governing short-term rentals and home-based businesses to the use of impact fees or even placement of crosswalks.

We know that residents want to stay abreast of issues affecting their city’s ability to maintain historic districts, establish tree ordinances or zone for certain types of businesses in a way that preserves the unique and appealing nature of their neighborhoods; however, it is not an easy task. This program, which uses the tagline “Elevating Florida’s Voices from Sidewalks to the State Capitol,” simplifies the process by using League resources to provide information, suggest actions and send updates.

Giving citizens a way to communicate directly with legislators is important because our state legislators may not be aware of the unintended consequences of proposed statewide legislation on some cities, towns or villages. Not all cities solve problems the same way because not all cities face the same issues or have the same goals for their communities. Our intention is to provide citizens with the information they need to stay on top of proposed legislation that might preempt the ability of people who live in a specific city and their local representatives to make decisions about rules governing their hometown.

Because this program is focused on grassroots advocacy and local people speaking up, we want to reach out to people where they live. City leaders are asked to reach out to organizations such as the Elks Club, neighborhood associations and chambers of commerce as well as individuals on their distribution lists to make them aware of the program and how valuable their involvement can be. Former elected officials will also serve as advocates for the program and join League staff in presentations to local organizations.

The foundation of the Local Voices United program is individuals who sign up to receive calls to action and updates by texting “local voices” to 50457. After registering contact information, the citizen will receive text messages whenever there is an issue that requires input from local residents. This information will be added to the existing list of League contacts who can advocate for their own neighborhoods.

ELEVATING FLORIDA'S VOICES FROM SIDEWALKS TO THE STATE CAPITOL

A Local Voices United website (localvoicesunited.com) provides several resources to help people advocate for their local area:

▸ An explanation of legislative issues and how they impact cities, towns and villages.

▸ “Easy” button to identify local lawmakers and provide direct outreach to their offices.

▸ Civics educational tools such as discussion guides and handouts that can be used for community groups, schools or businesses.

Efforts to promote the program will be supported by social media as we try to connect people to each other, to lawmakers and to the League.

We’ll use the power of Local Voices United judiciously – making sure that calls to action and messages are relevant to local residents. The power of any grassroots advocacy program is the connection between residents and their specific legislative representatives to focus on issues that impact the local community. Although the League’s advocacy staff handles many legislative issues and proposed bills each session, we will be careful to ensure that our calls to action and educational efforts are impactful; otherwise, people will lose interest in participating. Municipal leaders will also continue their own advocacy efforts, but adding individual residents – voters – to the program greatly expands our potential impact.

This program is exciting. The ability to provide real-time information on legislation being considered and how it affects people’s hometowns will empower individuals to get involved. We look forward to educating, engaging and energizing residents who want to speak up for their locality.

Scott Dudley is Director of Field Advocacy and Federal Affairs at the Florida League of Cities.

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LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD IN THREE EASY STEPS

Want to be part of the Local Voices United advocacy effort? We need your help.

▸ Like our Facebook Page: Local Voices United.

▸ Share the website localvoicesunited.com via email and social media. Tell your residents that the website includes materials to share with their neighbors and community organizations. The website also has an “easy” button to contact their representatives.

▸ Use the tools we’ve developed to engage your residents. Those tools include sample emails, fact sheets, slide decks and social media posts. Your voice carries weight.

Finally, members who serve in one of our key legislative districts may hear from us soon. The Florida League of Cities will be doing outreach to key community groups.