CITY OF PORT ORANGE HIRES NEW CITY ATTORNEY

The City of Port Orange City Council voted unanimously on October 15 to hire Deputy City Attorney, Matthew Jones, as the new City Attorney, effective Monday, December 2, pending a contract negotiation between Mayor Don Burnette and Mr. Jones.

Margaret Roberts is currently serving as the City Attorney, a role that she has held since 2000. Roberts has accepted a position with the City of North Port, located on the west coast of Florida.

Jones, a life-long resident of Port Orange, began his legal career in the City as an intern in the City Attorney’s office nearly 9 years ago, while attending Florida Coastal School of Law. In 2011, upon graduating law school, Jones was hired as an Assistant City Attorney. Since that time, he has gained extensive knowledge in municipal law including a wide range of court and administrative proceedings, land use, employment law, public records and serving as the city’s police legal advisor.

He was recently honored by the Florida Bar for achieving board certification in city, county and local law and currently serves as the Vice President of the Florida Association of Police Attorneys.

“Matt has a diverse skill set and a work ethic to perform thorough and competent legal work while serving our community,” said Mayor Don Burnette. “Matt works well with our elected officials, city staff, and members of the public. We are excited that he will begin the next phase of his legal career as City Attorney, serving his hometown community.”