Lakeland voters won’t just be electing a new mayor and two commissioners on Nov. 4. They will also be weighing in on three proposed changes to the City Charter.
The City Charter is like a municipal constitution. It’s the legal document that establishes the city’s form of government.
After a year of review, a 15-member Charter Review Committee recommended a list of changes. The three proposed amendments were placed on the ballot by an August vote of the City Commission.
Here’s a closer look at the ballot questions and what they would do.
Charter Amendment #1
Proposed Charter amendment modifying Commission district boundaries to be as equal in population as practicable.
Shall the Lakeland City Charter be amended to modify City Commission district boundaries to be as equal in population as practicable consistent with State law?
Yes _______ No _______
Lakeland is divided into four City Commission districts, each representing a quadrant of the city. Currently, the east-west dividing line is South Florida Avenue/U.S. 98 North. The north-south dividing line is the CSX rail line.
However, the populations of the districts have become imbalanced. The southeast quadrant (District D) has the highest population. The northeast quadrant (District B) has the lowest.
The proposed change would redraw the lines to make the number of residents roughly equal, as required by state law.
Impact: Lakeland commissioners are elected by all of the city’s voters, so they campaign citywide. However, candidates for the four districted seats must live in the zones they hope to represent.
The biggest change would be to the Lake Bonny neighborhood and area around Southeastern University, which would go from the southeast to the northeast district. Also, the area between Cleveland Heights Boulevard and South Florida Avenue, south of Edgewood Drive, would go from the southeast to the southwest district.
If approved, the new map would take effect in the 2027 election cycle.
Watch a discussion about the proposed change here.
Compare the maps:
Charter Amendment #2
Proposed Charter amendment modifying term limits applicable to City Commissioners and Mayor.
Shall the Lakeland City Charter be amended to modify term limits applicable to City Commissioners and Mayor, other than members in office on January 1, 2020, from the current term limits of no more than 3 complete terms in any combination of the positions of Mayor and Commissioner to new term limits of no more than 3 complete terms as a Commissioner and 2 complete terms as Mayor?
Yes _______ No _______
The second question asks whether to loosen the term limits for commissioners that voters imposed in 2019. Currently, Lakeland commissioners can serve a lifetime maximum of three terms for a total of 12 years. It doesn’t matter if the terms are as mayor or a commissioner.
The proposed amendment would change that to three terms as commissioner (12 years) and two terms as mayor (8 years), for a possible maximum of 20 years.
Pros and cons: Supporters argue that it takes a while for elected officials to learn the nuances of city government, only someone who is popular with voters could stay in office that long, and residents benefit from having experienced leaders at the helm.
Past mayors, including Howard Wiggs, have said commissioners who serve more than one term before becoming mayor can only stay in office for four years, which is not enough to be effective.
However, opponents argue that entrenched officials tend to be less attuned to voters. Incumbents have a significant advantage in municipal elections, and longer term limits mean open seats would come up less often. Also, anyone who served the full 20 years would be eligible for a pension of half their salary under state law.
Commissioners do not contribute to the city’s pension plan. Currently, the mayor earns $48,000 a year and commissioners earn $32,000 for what is considered a part-time position.
Charter Amendment #3
Proposed Charter amendment eliminating obsolete provisions; renumbering sections; amending other miscellaneous provisions.
Shall the Lakeland City Charter be amended to eliminate obsolete provisions; specify that mayor or commissioner elected to fill vacancy shall take office upon receiving election certificate; authorize any commissioner to call special commission meeting; require neighborhood posting of special assessment notices rather than newspaper ad; provide that ordinances subject to referendum petition shall not be suspended pending referendum and petitions shall be voted on at regular elections; conforming civil service provisions to current practices?
Yes _______ No _______
The third question bundles several procedural items related to city government.
Some are simple matters of housekeeping — like renumbering sections and deleting obsolete provisions. However, others are a bit more substantive.
Special meetings: Commissioners had mixed feelings in August about a provision that would allow a single commissioner to call a special commission meeting. Currently, a special meeting can only be called by the mayor, the city manager or three commissioners.
If a future commissioner were to abuse the privilege, it could be burdensome and costly. However, used sparingly, it could elevate important matters to the commission quickly.
Other items: On a practical note, the amendment would require that special assessment notices be mailed to residents or posted in neighborhoods, rather than published in a newspaper ad. It would also clarify that if residents gather enough petition signatures to challenge an ordinance in the next election, that ordinance does not have to be suspended until the vote.
Watch a discussion about the provisions here.
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LkldNow’s Voter Guide is made possible, in part, by support from Citrus Connection and readers like you. All editorial decisions are made independently by LkldNow.
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I commend LkldNow for this voter’s guide to the November 2025 Lakeland municipal elections. It is the most comprehensive summary of the mayoral candidates and the charter amendments that I have seen, and having the responses of all 4 mayoral candidates to concise questions is extremely helpful in deciding who will get my vote.