For the first time in more than 55 years, Lakeland is not having a Black person serve on the city commission.
“That was my concern all along,” Terry Coney, president of Lakeland’s NAACP branch, said. “If Commissioner Simmons lost, we go back in time to 1968 or there about to the last time we had an all-white city commission.”
“I have confidence that my colleagues will look out for the African American community, I really do,” he said.
Mayor Bill Mutz said he’s been grateful to have a consistent representation of the Black community on Lakeland’s commission dating back to 1986 and realizes the election is bringing change to that.
“I think it does two things: One is a reflection that there is a broader group of people in the community than Black or African Americans, as well as it might point for the future charter review committee on the importance of considering voting by district,” Mutz said.
As commissioner-elect, Guy LaLonde said he wasn’t fully aware of the optics of the Northwest District and concerns about racial representation until he was deeply involved in his campaign for the runoff election. He said the issue of racial representation never came up from when he first applied as a candidate to be appointed.
“I cannot change the color of my skin, who my parents are, or how I was raised,” LaLonde said. “I will work tirelessly nonstop to gain the trust of all people within the Northwest District and City of Lakeland.”
LaLonde is holding a Community Leader Roundtable on Dec. 19, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at The Well, 114 E. Parker St. https://fb.me/e/50EDo3zGz
LaLonde said the event is open to the public, especially Northwest community leaders and pastors, as he hopes to discuss what issues the area is facing and discuss ideas for solutions moving forward.
“We have to get more people engaged in the community, in all the city’s communities,” he said.
If the event has a good turnout, LaLonde said he is considering hosting a roundtable discussion on a quarterly or semi-annual basis.
Coney said he believes it will fall to the NAACP and other organizations to start at the beginning of next year, educating residents on the process of voting, the importance of civic engagement, and what that means on the community, state, and national levels.
“If you don’t vote, you disengage yourself in the process,” he said. “I was raised that if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”
Coney said he’s torn when thinking about whether Lakeland would benefit by moving from an at-large to a single-member district system.