Monroe County’s 2022 State Legislative Agenda Approved

MONROE COUNTY, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners approved the County’s state legislative priorities for the 2022 session at today’s regularly scheduled meeting in Key Largo. Legislative Affairs Director Lisa Tennyson presented and explained Monroe County’s priorities for the upcoming session from Jan. 11 through March 11, 2022. Highlights of the agenda include:

• The County’s number one priority is to secure a $25 million appropriation through the Florida Keys Stewardship Act (FKSA): $20 million for water quality projects and $5 million is for land acquisition.
• Inclusion of the Florida Keys Stewardship Act as a funded project in State’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund that funds environmental priorities annually with documentary stamp taxes.
• Secure funding for resiliency projects. The County submitted six funding requests into the new DEP Resiliency Funding portal as required by the new law passed last session. The two priority projects include the Twin Lakes and Stillwright Point neighborhoods.
• Work with the Legislature to tackle derelict vessels. Last session, the Legislature passed a bill enacting new anchoring limits in the waters of the Florida Keys. The County is working to lower the number of required new moorings and apply the new anchoring limits only to stored vessels and not liveaboard vessels.
• Wind insurance affordability: work with Citizens windstorm insurance to enhance affordability, work with the Office of Insurance Regulation to address annual rate increases, and oppose efforts to increase premiums, eliminate the cap on annual increases, reduce coverage, and reduce eligibility.
• Support Florida Association of Counties fight against preemption bills and support home rule related to vacation rentals, emergency powers, contractor licensing, home-based businesses, cruise ship activity in local ports, single-use plastic bags, business regulation, use of county rights of way, affordable housing, and local referenda that represent significant challenges to home rule.

“Monroe County has seen many successes in the past due to the committed leadership at the State level that has protected our unique and fragile ecosystem and those living and visiting the Florida Keys,” Tennyson said. “We are optimistic we will continue to see success in the 2022 session.”

More information about Monroe County’s legislative priorities can be found at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/legislativeaffairs.