Jennifer Merino has served as the City Attorney since 2017.  She is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in City, County, and Local Government Law.  Board certification is Florida’s official, independent determination of a lawyer’s expertise to practice in a specialty field of law. It is the gold standard for Florida lawyers, with only approximately 7% of all attorneys obtaining the designation, according to the Florida Bar.

Ms. Merino has over 15 years of local government experience.  Prior to her appointment as City Attorney, she was General Counsel for the Broward Office of the Inspector General, an independent agency that investigates the county and municipal governments in Broward County for fraud, waste, abuse, misfeasance and malfeasance.   Ms. Merino provided chief legal officer representation to the agency and also oversaw an investigative team that specialized in public procurement and contract management reviews.  Ms. Merino was awarded a Certified Inspector General designation by the national Association of Inspectors General in 2015.