Local Government & Land Use Attorney

Attorney Jeff Burns is the current City Attorney for Fort Walton Beach and previously served in the same role for Destin and Laurel Hill.

In these positions, he has provided daily legal counsel and representation to city Councils, city staff, land planning commissions, code enforcement magistrates, and a variety of other governmental boards. Jeff’s expertise spans land use issues, municipal home rule authority, and the full spectrum of issues specific to local governments, including budgeting, finance, growth management, and concurrency. His experience also encompasses everyday legal matters such as public records, Sunshine Law compliance, state ethics regulations, procurement, and all aspects of Florida’s constitutional law.

In addition, Jeff’s local government practice extends beyond municipalities, as he has represented several fire districts in Okaloosa County and the Okaloosa County School District - in addition to quasi-governmental water utilities, a natural gas utilities, and electric utilities.

However, Jeff does not limit his representation to governmental entities, and also provides counsel to individuals, businesses, and developers who need assistance navigating local government, land use, and code enforcement issues.