Editorial
The Lakeland Christmas Parade was a time-honored tradition but the Jr League Maggie Briggs the President of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland will not allow single-vehicle business units in the parade.
City Lakeland is extremely proud of being small business friendly but allows Jr League who hosts the parade to discriminate against small businesses, why?
They allowed single vehicles and golf carts in prior years. But according to Maggie Briggs and Bob Donahay with Lakeland Parks and Rec stated “they made mistakes”.
In the city’s press release it states the parade has enjoyed by the community for generations.
The Lakeland Gazette asked to see any permit between the City of Lakeland and the Junior League of Greater Lakeland to do the Christmas parade to the communication department of the City of Lakeland.
According to Kevin Cook Director of Communications City of Lakeland stated by email, “document does not exist.”
So the Junior League has NO written agreement or event permit to do the Christmas Parade. WHY?
Handshakes do not work in the real world, today.
The City of Lakeland uses YOUR tax dollars to pay for fire/police and sanitation services for the parade, according to Kevin Cook. That’s right your tax dollars paid for it.
Most small businesses can NOT afford a float and a non-signed tow vehicle.
We believe times have changed the city’s policies are archaic. The city promotes they are small business friendly but they choose to show their colors in pathetic ways.
It’s time that the Junior League of Greater Lakeland and the City of Lakeland wake up, this is 2022 and things changed.
The Parade needs to and more inclusive to all businesses in Lakeland.
They continue to break their so-called policies, but we still do not know whose policies they are. And if the city is setting policy the city legally cannot discriminate and if the JLGL is discriminating they could lose their non-for-profit status.
The Lakeland Gazette will not promote the Christmas Parade because of the “so-called policies.”