The Florida League of Cities has announced the winners of the 2025 Florida Municipal Achievement Awards. This annual awards program recognizes cities for innovative efforts in four categories: Economic Advancement, Environmental Stewardship, Local Action, and Public Engagement.

This year’s award-winning cities and their projects are:

  • Economic Advancement Award – City of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business (JSEB) Certification Program
  • Environmental Stewardship Award – Village of Pinecrest, Community Composting and Everglades Earth Cycle
  • Local Action Award – City of Oldsmar, Oldsmar Support Services Alliance
  • Public Engagement Award – City of Jacksonville Beach, Take 2 Tuesdays Video Series

“Florida’s cities are constantly developing creative, community-driven solutions to meet local needs and improve residents’ quality of life,” said FLC President and Cocoa Mayor Michael C. Blake. “It is truly inspiring to see what has been accomplished thanks to local leaders who have turned these visionary projects into reality. A heartfelt congratulations to the 2025 Florida Municipal Achievement Award winners!”

All winning cities will be honored with a trophy and featured in the League’s Quality Cities magazine, website, and social media channels.

The Economic Advancement Award recognizes a municipal program that strengthens the local economy. The City of Jacksonville’s Small and Emerging Business (JSEB) Certification Program supports local emerging businesses by connecting them with capital, education, and contracting opportunities. To ensure equitable access to resources, JSEB has facilitated more than 50 outreach events across all 19 districts of Jacksonville. Over the past two years, the number of JSEB-certified businesses has doubled, with participating companies earning more than $106 million in city contracts. The program’s five-pillar approach, focused on legislation, education, community, capital, and contracts, offers a replicable model for economic development.

The Environmental Stewardship Award celebrates environmental leadership and sustainability. The Village of Pinecrest’s award-winning sustainability initiatives include a free community composting program that has diverted over 90,000 pounds of food waste from landfills, a USDA-funded Everglades Earth Cycle project in partnership with the Miccosukee Tribe, and Floating Flower Islands that naturally filter pollution in local waterways. These programs combine environmental innovation with community engagement, offering a model for cities of all sizes and proving that measurable and adaptable environmental solutions can emerge from small municipalities to create regional impact.

The Local Action Award honors a single, citywide effort that meets a specific local need. Following a devastating hurricane season, the City of Oldsmar created the Oldsmar Support Services Alliance to coordinate relief among local nonprofits, churches, businesses, and volunteers. The Alliance mobilized over 430 volunteers, served nearly 12,000 meals, and provided direct support to nearly 5,000 households. This collaborative response has since been adopted into the city’s emergency operations plan as a model for future disaster resilience and is scalable for cities of any size.

The Public Engagement Award highlights programs that enhance transparency, civic participation, and public trust. The City of Jacksonville Beach’s “Take 2 Tuesdays” is a weekly two-minute video series that simplifies city topics from lifeguard recruiting to code enforcement and shares them on social media. With more than 60,000 views and consistent public interaction, the low-cost, in-house series has become a trusted platform that connects residents with their local government in a clear and consistent way that meets today’s communications challenges with authenticity and clarity.

Recommended for You