Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Targeted by Dark-Money PAC in Anonymous Attacks
What has undoubtedly been the ugliest Lake Wales municipal election campaign in memory is coming to a conclusion on April 1, when voters will have a last chance to help select a mayor who will serve a new three-year term. Incumbent Mayor Jack Hilligoss is being challenged by former city commissioner Curtis Gibson.
Mayoral candidate and former city commissioner Curtis Gibson decried a dark-money effort that has seen Lake Wales voters bombarded by multiple mailings and text messages attacking him. The campaign has originated in Tampa, but the source of the funds is concealed.
The campaign has been marked by a series of attacks using both direct mail and text messages funded by a "dark-money" political action committee based in Tampa.
The anonymous smear effort has targeted Gibson, 40, calling him "dangerous" and citing an incident 20 years ago that fooled him into believing he had won a million dollars in a contest. He was arrested trying to cash the check, but an investigation confirmed he had been duped by the scam.
An accusation leveled by Gibson's former girlfriend that resulted in a criminal charge during his earlier commission service was also withdrawn, and she has written in support of his candidacy, decrying the attacks.
Gibson answered questions at a Thursday evening forum hosted by the American Association of University Women at Water's Edge in Lake Wales, giving citizens an opportunity to learn about his ideas and vision for the city.
Hilligoss was absent. He reportedly told event organizers that he would attend only if Chamber of Commerce president Skip Alford was part of the event. Alford was unavailable on the date.
Gibson told an audience of about 45 that the top issue in the election was managing growth, accusing the mayor of "rubber-stamping" new developments with easy zoning changes.
"See how close together the houses are?" Gibson asked, saying that it was the result of generous variances. He voiced support for both the Lake Wales Connected and Envisioned plans as tools to manage and direct growth.
Mayor Jack Hilligoss is seeking a second term, running against challenger and former commissioner Curtis Gibson. Hilligoss, pastor of High Point Church, denies knowledge of the source of multiple postcards and text messages amounting to a brutal smear campaign against Gibson, which has been funded by a dark-money political action committee based in Tampa.
He also addressed the attacks which have been launched against him, saying in response to a question that he expected one result would be a hesitation on the part of other qualified candidates to seek local office. A similar attack campaign was used against Commissioner Carol Gillespie during the 2024 election cycle. Gillespie defeated incumbent and Hilligoss ally Danny Krueger handily in that vote.
"I'm sad" about the brutal attacks, Gibson said, adding that he had lost count of the number of text messages he had received, calling them "lies that they have put out to scare the people."
"I'm not the type to go low," Gibson said. "I've never been convicted of anything in my life."
Gibson, the father of five children, called for increased efforts to create better-paying jobs locally, citing health care, technology, and renewable energy as areas of opportunity. He said that the city should take steps to reduce permit barriers and cited his effort as a commissioner to create inducements for new downtown restaurants.
Gibson promised to "bring the community together, unify," saying that Hilligoss had created a divisive atmosphere as mayor through efforts to limit speech at public meetings and by engaging in combative language. Gibson suggested allowing the public to speak on agenda items at commission workshops, when most issues are reviewed and settled, saying the change would result in "better decisions."
Unhappy crowds gathered after Hilligoss asked for an ordinance limiting public speech at city commission meetings. The proposal included a provision requiring each speaker to sign a sworn affidavit "under penalty of perjury" rather than offer opinions.
Hilligoss had created a firestorm by proposing an ordinance that would have limited speech at commission meetings, including a provision requiring each speaker to sign a sworn affidavit to "swear or affirm under penalty of perjury" rather than offering opinions. Several area television stations covered the subsequent meetings, one of which ended by the mayor order the room cleared by police.
Hilligoss, a local pastor, has also used his pulpit to attack perceived political opponents and "leading citizens" as "wicked,"
As mayor, Hilligoss has taken control of proclamations by the commission, rejecting such issues as women's equal pay, but recognizing a Hibernian organization from St. Cloud.
Gibson also cited the city's $1.2 million funding of BizLinc, a business incubator run by Hilligoss' associate pastor, as a questionable arrangement. "I wish he was here to explain" that, Gibson said.
Gibson spoke in opposition to the proposed turnpike routes through Lake Wales. Hilligoss voted against a draft city resolution opposing the project.
Gibson also called for the city to reserve future water supplies through the Polk Regional Water Cooperative, saying that a once-promising effort by the city to create its own deep-well source had been found impractical.
Gibson said that his campaign has been funded by small donations of "$20, $25, $100 checks" as opposed to the apparent multiple thousands poured into the dark-money PAC mail and text efforts on behalf of Hilligoss, who told The Ledger that he had no knowledge of the source of the attacks but declined to condemn them.
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