Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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On a split vote, Lake Wales City Commissioners Tuesday evening voted themselves an annual raise of $2,400 intended to pay for the cost of local travel and expenses. City Manager James Slaton had proposed the increase at a commission work session last week, saying those expenses were often incurred by commissioners in the course of their duties. Newly-elected Commissioner Danny Krueger argued in favor of the raise, complaining that his 547 miles of travel around the city since...
A pair of forums offering voters a chance to hear from seven school board candidates has been moved to an online event due to the recent upsurge of Coved cases in Polk County. The event had been scheduled for the James Austin Center in Lake Wales with a capacity of 100 guests. The event will now take place via Zoom, with a link to be posted for interested guests. The August primary election will be the final chance to vote in some local races, including those for new school...
Ballots are now available for eligible voters who wish to vote by mail in Florida's Statewide Primary Election on August 23rd. The Primary Election will be decisive in four local school board races and a judgeship as well as the selection of major party nominees for governor, US senator, and other statewide offices. Voters can request a mail ballot by phoning Election Headquarters at (863) 534-5888 or by visiting the Supervisor of Elections website at PolkElections.gov. If...
Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards advises residents to watch for their new Voter Information Cards which have been mailed to more than 450,000 voters. When the new cards arrive, voters should confirm that all the information is correct including: · Name; · Residence Address; · Party Affiliation; and, · Date of Birth "While the new cards are not required to cast a ballot, they provide helpful information to voters, including the location of their polling pla...
The August primary election will be the final chance to vote in some local races, including those for new school board members for four different seats on the seven-member board. A total of nine candidates are seeking spots on the board, which governs more than 100 local schools. The two events will take place on Monday, July 18 and Thursday July 21., The public is encouraged to come hear the candidates discuss the challenges facing public education, and the important role...
The unofficial vote tabulation is completed and It is apparent that Jack Hilligoss and Danny Kreuger will fill the mayoral post and that of city commissioner. With the votes tabulated, Jack Hilligoss has apparently won the three-way race for mayor, with almost 44% of ballots cast. Under the Lake Wales City Charter there are no run-offs in city elections, so a plurality is sufficient for victory. In the City Commission race, Daniel Krueger defeated James Loydd by less than 100...
An apparent impropriety in the mayoral campaign financing of City Commissioner Jack Hilligoss has caused yet another twist in the closing days of the election. A letter from Lake Wales attorney Richard McKinley addressed to City Clerk Jennifer Nanek, the candidate, and his campaign treasurer Bonnie Barker demands "any and all documentation related to the itemized expenditures" listed on Hilligoss's March 18 campaign finance report. That report, filed with Nanek last week,...
Thursday, March 31 was the final day candidates for two Lake Wales municipal seats could accept contributions, and their final reports, filed Friday, offered a glimpse into their bases of support and the strategies they pursued to attempt to win office. Collectively, the five candidates have spent $27,775 in the last few months to win the support of Lake Wales voters. Three seek to be the city's next mayor, and two others hope to fill an open seat on the City Commission....
As the campaigns that will shape the election of a mayor and city commissioner come to a close, some have asked whether our editorial board will endorse any of the five candidates. We believe a response is in order. The three candidates for mayor, Curtis Gibson, Jack Hilligoss, and Tammy James, agree on much, but offer clear distinctions in their leadership styles and priorities. The two candidates for city commission seat 4, Danny Krueger and James Loydd, differ not only in...
Municipal elections will be held April 5, and Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards has some important tips to keep in mind as workers and voters employ safe practices when voting. Precautions to protect voters and workers from COVID-19 mean less voters may be allowed in each polling location at one time. Face masks are encouraged, but not required for voters in the polling room. Election staff, however, will be wearing face masks and/or face shields. Voters may...
An unexpected third election forum for candidates for Lake Wales mayor and city commission has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 29 at the Lake Wales Arts Center, 1099 SR 60 East. The event was revealed by Chamber President and CEO Skip Alford, who said that the Chamber has a responsibility to the citizens to make sure they are well informed. This will be the third forum of the election cycle. Three candidates for mayor, and two for city commission seat 4, have been invited to...
More than 70 guests gathered Monday evening at the Lake Wales Woman's Club to hear all five candidates for election to two city posts discuss issues and answer questions. Speaking from the stage all five candidates received polite applause following most of their answers, but there were also moments of division. All five candidates were asked the same questions. Mayoral candidates Curtis Gibson, Jack Hilligoss and Tammy James generally agreed on most issues, including that...
As a pair of contested city elections move toward a climactic vote on April 5 citizens will have another opportunity to see and hear the five vying for the two open seats. A forum will take place Monday afternoon, March 14, beginning at 5:00, a time chosen by organizers to allow working people to stop in before heading home, according to Juanita Zwaryczuk, co-president of the sponsoring American Association of University Women. The cosponsoring GFWC Lake Wales Women's Club...
A nearly year-long search to recruit a new superintendent for Lake Wales Charter Schools concluded Tuesday evening, leaving many in the community determined to heal the divisions created during the process. After an effort that at times seemed more like an election campaign than a search and involved seemingly unending political maneuvering, the Board of Trustees settled upon Dr. Wayne V. Rodolfich, who comes to the city from Pascagoula, Miss. As the vote was taken he was...
Six candidates have qualified for election to two open seats in the City of Lake Wales government in the April 5 municipal elections. Voters will have an opportunity to choose a new mayor and a District 4 city commissioner. Qualifying opened at noon Monday and closes at the same hour on Friday. Three candidates for mayor of Lake Wales include former Commissioner Curtis Gibson, current Commissioner Jack Hilligoss, and political newcomer Tammy James, a downtown investor and...
Former City Commissioner Al Goldstein, considered by some to be the favorite in a three-way race to regain his seat, withdrew his filing hours before the City Commission approved the final ballot form in an afternoon meeting Friday. He was one of six candidates who had qualified since noon Monday for the two seats to be decided in the April 5 election. Goldstein was frank and gracious in his comments when reached by telephone, saying that he had no hard feelings, and that he k...
Four of the six expected candidates wasted no time in filing their paperwork for city elections after the qualifying period opened at noon Monday. They will each be a candidate for one of two open seats in Lake Wales government. Both the mayor and a city commission position will be on the April 5 ballot. Tammy James, a candidate for mayor, was first to arrive at the office of City Clerk Jennifer Nanek. Her two opponents, Jack Hilligoss and Curtis Gibson, arrived during the...
Multiple paid positions are open to help run the elections process in Polk County this election year, according to Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. Polk County residents are invited to apply to become election workers during an informational meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 2nd. "These are paid positions working at polling places on Election Day," explained Edwards. The informational meeting will be held beginning at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, February 2nd at the...
The year just completed saw a number of big stories that impacted the Lake Wales community, and we've taken a look back at them through the perspective of the new year. Here's how our staff ranked the biggest stories of 2021. 1) A development surge saw multiple projects brought forward for consideration by the Lake Wales Development Services and the City Commission, including the long-dormant Winter Haven Corporation project which is expected to include more than 6,000 new...
Lake Wales will likely have to tweak the borders of its four voting districts since the 2020 U.S. Census showed the city had grown by about 15 percent in the last decade. The official census count in 2020 was 16,351 residents, up from 14.225 in 2010. In order to redraw voting district lines, a special five-person Census Redistricting Committee will be formed to suggest the new boundaries, which will then have to be formally adopted by the city commission. The city has four...
Polk County residents are invited to apply to become election workers during an informational meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 23rd. “These are paid positions working at polling places on Election Day,” explained Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards. The meetings will be held at 10:00 am and 6:00 pm at the Election Operations Center, 70 Florida Citrus Boulevard, Winter Haven and no reservation is required. Voters who have served as election workers in Polk County in recent years are welcome but do not need to att...
The wife of former Lake Wales City Commissioner Pete Perez has indicated her interest in filling his old seat, which is vacant now due to the suspension of newly elected Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald. He served as a commissioner from 2015-2017. Jacqueline Perez, 79, served as president of the Social Committee at Lake Ashton, a two-year term where she coordinated monthly social events which she said resulted in positive revenue for the group. Prior to retiring she served as a da...
Former Lake Wales City Commissioner Betty Wojcik has applied to fill the temporary vacancy created by the suspension of newly elected Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald. Commissioners at their Aug. 3 meeting will consider Wojcik and any others who apply before then. A Lake Ashton resident, Wojcik served on the commission from 2011-2015. She retired in 2014 as executive director of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce. Asked why she was interested in serving, Wojcik said "It just...
Pastor Jack Hilligoss has added his name to the list of people interested in filling the city commission vacancy created by the suspension of newly elected Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald. Commissioners will consider making an appointment at their Aug. 3 meeting. Hilligoss, 55, is senior pastor of HighPoint Church and has lived in Lake Wales since 1997. He is a 1992 graduate of Warner Southern College. In his email asking to be considered Hilligoss pointed out that all three of...
Despite a gathering of supporters, a contingent speaking on his behalf, and the endorsement of the mayor, deputy mayor and a number of Republican elected officials, Al Goldstein on July 20 lost his bid to return to his former seat to fill the vacancy created by the suspension of newly elected Lake Wales City Commissioner Kris Fitzgerald. After Fitzgerald defeated him April 6 by just 32 votes, Goldstein lashed out in a media interview, citing racism as a factor, suggesting the...
