3-minute read
In addition to electing a new mayor and two commissioners, Lakeland voters opted to raise the maximum number of years city commissioners can serve from 12 to 20.
There were three proposed amendments to the city’s charter on the ballot Tuesday. Amendments 1 and 3 were fairly noncontroversial, designed to clean up the charter and comply with state laws. They passed with 75.4% and 71.9% respectively.
The vote was much closer on Amendment 2, asking whether to loosen the commission term limits that voters imposed in 2019. That measure passed with 57.9% of the vote.
More time to get things done
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 amendment raises that to three terms as commissioner (12 years) and two terms as mayor (8 years), for a possible maximum of 20 years.
Former Mayor Howard Wiggs and former Commissioner Don Selvage both advocated for the shift, saying it takes time to learn the nuances of city government and residents benefit from having experienced leaders at the helm.
Wiggs said last year that he stepped into the role of mayor feeling like he was “running out of time.”
Opponents argued that entrenched officials might be less attuned to voters. Also, commissioners don’t contribute to the city’s pension plan, but anyone who served 20 years would be eligible to receive a pension of half their salary under state law.
Scenes from Election Day
Mayoral candidate Cedric Valrie, in red shirt, gathered with family and friends at Britt’s Cafe to watch the election returns. | Anna Toms, LkldNow 
Mayoral candidate Kaitlin Gracie Kramer, standing, gathered with supporters at Cob & Pen on Election Night. | Trinity Laurino, LkldNow 
City Commission candidate Kim-Marie Noble addresses supporters at Union Hall in front of a large screen before the first vote totals were posted. | Trinity Laurino, LkldNow 
Poll worker Richard Coyle wore one of his “special occasion” hats to greet voters at the Lake Mirror Center. This is his second election as a poll worker. | Cindy Glover, LkldNow 
Longtime poll worker Awilda Rivera has a chain of enamel charms representing every election she has worked for the past 20 years. She said the Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office sends them out after each election. | Cindy Glover, LkldNow 
Longtime poll worker Awilda Rivera has a chain of enamel charms representing every election she has worked for the past 20 years. She said the Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office sends them out after each election. | Cindy Glover, LkldNow 
Campaign signs greeted Lakeland residents who pulled into the Lake Mirror Center to vote on Nov. 4, 2025. | Cindy Glover, LkldNow
Turnout was low, but better than feared
About 19% of Lakeland’s 62,600 registered voters participated in the election, despite a new state law that led to fewer votes by mail.
That was lower than typical mayoral election years, which average 22.2%. But it was better than some observers feared when only 4,386 mail-in ballots had been returned by Friday, Oct. 31.
Mail-in voting has accounted for more than half of all ballots cast in recent years. There were 9,767 mail-in votes during the mayoral election in 2021. However, City Clerk Kelly Koos said fewer ballots were mailed this year because of a new state law requiring people to make new vote-by-mail requests after every national election.
It was unclear if people who usually vote by mail would go out to the polls on Election Day. But the figures suggest that about 1,500 did.
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