Government & Politics

Local government meetings, elections, policy and civic updates

Free Candidate Forum Wednesday: Politics in the Park Moves Indoors to Sun 'n Fun's Skylight Hangar

The Lakeland Chamber's election-year tradition returns Aug. 12 with candidates from 14 races, a Supervisor of Elections straw poll and no admission charge, six days before Polk County's Aug. 18 primary.

Aug 113 min read

Government & Politics

Lakeland Freezes Data Centers on a 4-3 Vote, and the Pause Covers Project Swan

Commissioners adopted a 12-month moratorium on data centers and any customer drawing 50 megawatts or more, effective immediately. A city spokesperson confirmed it halts Ryan Companies' proposed 600,000-square-foot Project Swan in west Lakeland.

Aug 54 min read

Government & Politics

Lakeland Housing Authority Moves All 257 Public Housing Apartments Toward Section 8

LHA says tenants would keep paying no more than 30% of income and would not have to reapply, but the switch would merge waiting lists and tighten income limits for future applicants. HUD has the final say.

Jul 284 min read

Government & Politics

Lakeland Electric Bills Rise Oct. 1 — the Start of Four Straight Years of Increases

City commissioners approved a base-rate increase for Lakeland Electric that begins Oct. 1 and repeats annually through 2030, adding about $2.83 a month for the average home in year one.

Jul 243 min read

Government & Politics

Your August 18 Ballot Is Locked In: A Lakeland Guide to the Polk Races That Matter — And a July 20 Deadline

Polk County's ballot is set for the Aug. 18 primary, with the County Commission and three School Board seats on the line. Here's what Lakeland voters need to know — and why the deadline to register or switch parties is July 20.

Jul 144 min read

Government & Politics

Midtown's 30-Year Blueprint: A Draft Plan Would Reshape Homes, MLK Avenue and Tigertown Through 2056

A new draft redevelopment plan for Lakeland's largest CRA district envisions more housing near Lakeland Regional, a revived Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, a year-round Tigertown and a new nature preserve — and public comment is open now.

Jul 104 min read

Government & Politics

Governor's Veto Pen Trims Lakeland to a Single Project — Here's What Survived and What Didn't

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed three of Lakeland's four state funding requests, leaving the city with just $1 million of the $4.115 million it sought — even as a downtown courthouse and local colleges landed millions.

Jul 64 min read

Government & Politics

Lakeland's First Public Hearing on a 12-Month Data Center Freeze Is Monday at 9 a.m.

City commissioners take up a proposed 12-month moratorium on data centers and "large load" power users Monday, July 6 — residents' first formal chance to weigh in after the hyperscale "Project Swan" campus in West Lakeland drew heavy pushback.

Jul 45 min read