SAFETY HARBOR — Safety Harbor City Manager Matt Spoor was recognized during a recent City Commission meeting for receiving a pair of awards from statewide organizations.
During the June 7 commission meeting, Mayor Joe Ayoub announced Spoor had received the Florida City and County Manager Association’s 2021 Professional Management Matters award June 3 for “fostering representative democracy by enhancing the effectiveness of local elected officials and by consistently initiating creative and successful programs.”
In addition, Spoor, who has been city manager since 2007, also received the Florida League of Cities Home Rule Hero award for “his outspoken advocacy for municipal home rule leading up to and during the 2021 legislative session.”
After playing a video of each commissioner praising Spoor that was shown at the conference, Ayoub presented him with his awards, proclamations and a Superman-style T-shirt with “CM” in the center. Spoor then posed for a few photos before speaking about the recognition.
“Obviously I’m humbled, and thank you,” he said. “It didn’t really hit me until Thursday when I was at the conference awards ceremony with 300-plus of my colleagues from around the state coming up to me and shaking my hand and congratulating me.”
Spoor said the recognition was “a team award, because we couldn’t do everything we did if it wasn’t for staff and the City Commission.” After saying he received numerous comments about the unity the commission displayed in the video, he thanked them “for making this job fun, challenging. It’s never easy but thank you for your willingness to work with staff and always supporting staff. That’s key for me, you know that, and so this is really a team award. Thank you.”
