City Council Legislative Assistant

The City Council Legislative Assistant serves as a trusted liaison and strategic support resource to the City Council, providing a blend of high-level administrative, professional, and policy-related assistance. 

The Legislative Assistant is expected to work proactively with limited supervision, manage complex scheduling and communication needs, and support council members in their service to the City of Boca Raton through research, public engagement, and project oversight. The Assistant also exhibits a high degree of awareness of political sensitivities when responding to inquiries and assisting with constituent concerns and communications.

This dynamic role operates under the general supervision of the City Manager or designee and supports the needs and priorities of council members. The Legislative Assistant is relied upon to exercise analytical thinking, discretion, judgment, and initiative as they work to conduct research and policy analysis, preparing reports on a wide range of topics and data sources, including statistical analysis, as well as to draft correspondence and talking points on behalf of council members.

In addition, the Assistant provides legislative support and manages scheduling, correspondence, and expenses, including travel arrangements for the members of the City Council, excluding the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem-solver with excellent communication skills, sound judgement, and experience in a fast-paced government or political environment. 

This position requires scheduling flexibility, occasional evening or weekend availability for community events or meetings is required. Work is performed under the direction of a higher-level supervisor and is reviewed through conferences, reports, and observation of results obtained. 

Legislative Research and Strategic Support:

• Provide research, policy analysis, and support for legislative initiatives and community issues.
• Gathers, analyzes and summarizes data and information requested by council members.
• Monitor local, regional and state legislative activity relevant to the city’s priorities and as identified by council members.
• Draft review and edit correspondence, reports and talking points.
• Assist in preparing officials for public meetings, speaking engagements and community events.  Includes writing background reports, briefing council members and developing and organizing talking points.
• Handles special projects and tracks special initiatives as requested by council members; compiles and analyzes data.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for constituent inquiries; ensure prompt, professional responses.
• Receives scheduled visitors and screens telephone calls from residents, customers, business owners, as well as other governmental officials, professional staff, and public. 
• Reads and prioritizes incoming and outgoing mail and email.
• Draft and manage official correspondence, email on behalf of council members.
• Coordinate with city departments to respond to constituent inquiries.

• Assist in drafting or reviewing newsletter articles, talking points for presentations or constituent correspondence on behalf of the council members.
• Track media coverage relevant to the city and flag important developments.

• Attend public events, community meetings, and advisory boards to gather information for elected officials when they are unavailable and provide oral or written reports.
• Collaborate with Communications to coordinate logistics for town halls, press conferences and community forums.
• Manage and anticipate logistical requirements on behalf of the council members.
• Liaise with community organizations, neighborhood associations and civic groups and communicate with points of contact on behalf of the council members.

• Handle sensitive matters with discretion and professionalism.
• Adhere to all city ethics rules and guidelines related to lobbying, campaigning and use of public resources.
• Council members may request that the Legislative Assistant directly interact and communicate with Department Directors. However, any such interaction/communication shall be solely for the purpose of providing information to the Director, and in no event shall the interaction or communication involve an attempt to influence, direct, compel or require the Director to take/perform any actions/decisions, modify any commenced or planned actions/decisions, or prioritize or re-prioritize any action/decision.
• All interactions, tasks or requests by a council member to the Legislative Assistant shall be solely related to the official functions and duties of an elected official and shall serve a public purpose.

• Manage complex calendars for Council members, including scheduling meetings, events and appointments.  
• Coordinate meetings without conflicting with personal calendars and considering logistical needs (travel, presentation preparation, etc).
• Coordinate meeting logistics, materials, and briefings as needed.  
• Proactively identify council member needs for meetings (logistics, talking points, meal orders, etc).
• Track deadlines, key dates, and ensure timely follow up on commitments.  
• Provide council members with reminders of upcoming meeting schedules and reporting requirements (such as gift disclosures).

• Maintain organized, accurate and up to date digital and physical records of meetings, constituent correspondence, travel and legislative activity, and contact databases.
• Ensure compliance with public records laws and city policies regarding document retention.

• Facilitates and coordinates travel, community events, and other engagements on behalf of the council members in accordance with city travel and event policies. 
• Coordinate travel arrangements including transportation, accommodations and itineraries.
• Prepare and submit expense reports in compliance with city policies.
• Track and reconcile travel and office expenditures for elected officials.

Knowledge of:

• Municipal government structures, interdepartmental workflows, and the procedural roles and responsibilities of City Council members.
• Legislative processes, including bill drafting, committee protocols, policy analysis, and stakeholder impact assessment.
• Ethical standards, transparency mandates, and compliance frameworks applicable to elected officials and government staff.
• Florida Sunshine Law, public meeting requirements, and public records retention and disclosure standards.
• Best practices in constituent services, civic engagement, and public outreach strategies, including use of newsletters, town halls, and stakeholder-targeted messaging.
• Event and schedule logistics planning across multiple concurrent engagements, such as press conferences, official meetings, and community events.
• Financial procedures including procurement, travel reimbursement, and expense tracking in alignment with city policies.

• Conducting thorough, policy-relevant research on legislation, community issues, and emerging concerns; synthesizing findings into briefings, summaries, or talking points aligned with Council priorities.
• Analysis - synthesizing complex information into concise briefings, talking points, or recommendations.
• Drafting and refining professional communications—emails, reports, and talking points—ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment with city standards, tailoring tone and content to suit target audiences consistent with city standards and practices.
• Editing and proofreading written materials for clarity, consistency, grammar, and alignment with city communication standards.
• Communicating diplomatically and effectively with diverse stakeholders, including residents, government staff, and elected officials; representing council members with tact and professionalism in meetings, calls, and written exchanges.
• Managing digital workflows, calendars, and data using productivity tools such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), shared drives, and collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Suite).

• Exercise sound judgment in managing sensitive topics, political dynamics, and public-facing communications on behalf of Council members.
• Balance strategic projects and daily operational needs, prioritizing multiple tasks with minimal supervision, adjusting to shifting priorities and emerging issues.
• Uphold high ethical standards and ensure compliance with conflict-of-interest guidelines and confidentiality rules.
• Identify process improvements and implement workflow enhancements to better serve council and constituent needs.
• Communicate with clarity, respect, and professionalism across all levels of city government and the community.
• Build trust and rapport with residents, staff, and external stakeholders through consistent, responsive engagement. Actively listen and accurately convey stakeholder concerns, helping council members remain informed and responsive.
• Maintain meticulous records and organized digital/physical systems for correspondence, legislative tracking, and calendar coordination.
• Monitor and meet deadlines for reporting, meetings, and ongoing council commitments.
• Track, analyze, and synthesize data or feedback into actionable insights for policy or constituent strategy.
• Manage detailed travel, scheduling, and event logistics in a fast-paced, multi-priority environment.
• Demonstrate exceptional attention to detail and maintain organized, accurate records across digital and physical systems.

• Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public administration, political science, communications or related field.
• Three (3) years of experience in a legislative, government or executive assistant role.
• Excellent writing, editing and communication skills.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Direct experience with office management practices and procedures, 
• Discretion and ability to handle sensitive or confidential information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint) and capability to develop proficiency in use of ERP modules.

• Knowledge of municipal government structure and procedures.
• Experience working with elected officials or in a political environment.
• Familiar with legislative tracking tools or CRM software. 

• This position requires flexibility, occasional evening or weekend availability for community events or meetings.
• Work is typically performed in a professional office environment with some local travel, as needed.
• State of Florida Class "E" Driver's License. 

• Criminal Background Check
• Employment Verification
• Education Verification
• Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) Check

The City of Boca Raton is an Equal Opportunity, Inclusive, Veteran's Preference Employer and Drug Free Workplace. It is the policy of the City of Boca Raton to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, disability, pregnancy, familial status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.