Commissioner Jeniffer Viscarra Honored with 2025 Home Rule Hero Award
Published on May 19, 2025
The Florida League of Cities (FLC), which represents and advocates for municipalities across the state, has named Sunny Isles Beach Commissioner Jeniffer Viscarra a 2025 Home Rule Hero in recognition of her efforts during this year’s state legislative session.
The Home Rule Hero Award celebrates local officials who go above and beyond to protect the ability of cities to govern themselves. Known as “Home Rule,” this principle allows municipalities to make decisions that best fit their communities without unnecessary interference from the state.
Throughout the 2025 Legislative Session, Commissioner Viscarra actively supported Home Rule by engaging with lawmakers, sharing local data and real-world examples, and ensuring that the voices of Florida cities were part of the legislative conversation.
“This session, local leaders stepped up once again, bringing persistence, perspective, and a strong voice for local decision-making to every conversation,” said FLC Chief of Legislative Affairs Casey Cook. “The League and our legislative team deeply appreciate their leadership and are proud to recognize the meaningful difference they made for Florida’s cities.”
Commissioner Viscarra has long demonstrated her dedication to civic involvement in Sunny Isles Beach. Before being elected in 2018, she served as Chair of the City Advisory Committee. She also founded the Residents’ Academy and the Community Legislative Advocacy Program (CLAP), two programs designed to engage and educate residents on city government and legislative issues.
In addition, she authors a personal newsletter, SIB AJENDA—a play on the word “agenda”—which offers residents clear, objective updates on local and statewide legislative developments. Through the newsletter and her work during City Commission workshops, she encourages civic participation by providing contact information and letter templates for residents to communicate directly with state representatives.