Editorial
This editorial has nothing to do with any one candidate or candidates, it has to do with the way the Lakeland City Commissioners handled this process.
At the end of the interviews on Oct 10, 2022, it was decided that all current commissioners would pick their top four picks – and rank them, #1 meaning their top choice.
See the Video below: conversation starts at 1:51:13 on the video
But during the Agenda Study on Friday 10/14/2022 the commissioners decided not to rank the top four candidates. Why would they change the process a second time?
Agenda Study & Committees – October 14, 2022 from City of Lakeland on Vimeo.
See round one paperwork
At the commission meeting on 10/17/2022, the commissioner changed the way they were doing it because they had five names come up. So the commissioners did a second round
See round two paperwork
Questions:
Was race a factor in the decision?
How can the top three of the top five in round two be all African American?
The Lakeland City Commission then ranked the candidates in the following order:
- Sam Simmons
- Veronica Roundtree
- Tracy Faison
- Guy LaLonde
- Ricky Shirah