Expanding Our Civic Engagement

By Jeniffer Viscarra, Commissioner

(Tuesday, September 5, 2023) – As many of you know, one of my main objectives is to improve civic engagement in Sunny Isles Beach. Civic engagement can be volunteering, being properly informed, attending an event, taking a city survey, or sharing a concern with your Commission. In short, any time an SIB resident takes time out of their day to learn, help, or participate in our community, they are civically engaged.

This year SIB residents will have a new opportunity for civic engagement. Building on the success of the Residents’ Academy, I will lead our first community legislative advocacy program with the help of Local Voices United, a non-partisan organization that advocates for the empowerment of municipalities and Home Rule. Unlike the Residents’ Academy, the advocacy group will not always meet on a set day and time. When participants are ready, they may work independently and will be able to team up with Florida friends and family. You can make a difference!

Sometimes legislative advocacy is focused on helping a bill pass and become a law. Other times it is focused on preventing a bill from moving forward at all. We won’t know whether to support or oppose until we see what’s filed by our state legislators. Either way, I look forward to advocating with you and for you.

Contact Commissioner Jeniffer Viscarra at seat4@sibfl.net or 305.792.1750.