Lakeland commissioners could forgo 'good faith' applications to replace Phillip Walker

Sara-Megan Walsh, The Ledger
·5 min read
Under state law, Lakeland City Commissioner Phillip Walker was required to resign from his city office in May to qualify as a candidate for House District 50. He lost the Aug. 23 Republican primary to Jennifer Canady.
Under state law, Lakeland City Commissioner Phillip Walker was required to resign from his city office in May to qualify as a candidate for House District 50. He lost the Aug. 23 Republican primary to Jennifer Canady.

LAKELAND –— Terry Coney, president of the Lakeland Chapter of the NAACP, said the eight residents who applied to fill Commissioner Phillip Walker's seat after he resigned to unsuccessfully campaign for the Florida House did so "in good faith."  He called on Lakeland to honor that.

The city announced in July it was seeking interested candidates to fill his seat and asked for applications to be submitted by Aug. 26.

But, less than 18 minutes before the noon filing deadline, Walker sent an email to City Attorney Palmer Davis and City Clerk Kelly Koos asking to be considered an interim candidate for the seat he now occupies.

How it started: Lakeland Commissioner Phillip Walker seeks reappointment to seat he resigned to run for House

Related: Some Lakeland officials signal their support for reappointing Phillip Walker

Read more : Phillip Walker says he has 'no political plans' after losing in primary for District 50 seat."

Under state law, Walker was required to resign from office in May to qualify as a candidate for House District 50. He lost the Aug. 23 Republican primary to Jennifer Canady.

Walker's last day in office set for Nov. 6.

Davis said while the state's "resign-to-run" statute required Walker to have submitted a letter of resignation prior to campaigning, it does not prevent him from being voluntarily reappointed to his seat.

"This was not something we knew about until post primary," Mayor Bill Mutz said. "We are learning in the process."

Terry Coney is president of the Lakeland Chapter of the NAACP. ERNST PETERS/ THE LEDGER
Terry Coney is president of the Lakeland Chapter of the NAACP. ERNST PETERS/ THE LEDGER

Coney said abandoning the application process and appointing Walker would be the equivalent of giving the commissioner a "first right of refusal."

"It's probably 99.9% chance it's going to happen," Coney said of the likelihood of Walker being appointed. "That just kind of pushes other applicants aside."

Last year, residents approved changing Lakeland's City Charter to have the commission fill vacancies by appointing interim commissioners until the next regular municipal election takes place, which is every two years. The appointee must meet the same requirements as a candidate: reside in Lakeland, live in specified district for at least a year, be a registered voter and not convicted of a felony.

Davis told commissioners on Friday they were under no legal obligation of the commission to interview the other eight candidates for the Northwest District seat. City

Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz
Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz

Mayor Bill Mutz said appointing Walker would - in a way - represent "what the people have already chosen."

Three commissioners made comments indicating their support to reappoint Walker to serve the remaining year of his term at Friday's agenda study: Stephanie Madden, Mike Musick and Sara Roberts McCarley.

While Musick pointed to how the city's process is less than perfect he voiced his support for Walker.

"By appointing you are usurping, but that's what [residents] voted to do," he said. "We are in this position now, we have to deal with it in the future until it changes again."

Commissioner Mike Musick has voiced his support for Walker.
Commissioner Mike Musick has voiced his support for Walker.

Lakeland Commission applicants

The following are the Lakeland residents who submitted applications to fill the Northwest District seat:

  • Lolita Berrien has worked for Polk County Public Schools as an administrative assistant since August 1997. She has taught beginning piano and exercise classes for the city at the Coleman-Bush building. Residents may have heard her as a host on WWAB radio or as vice president of Webster Park South Neighborhood Association. Berrien has served on multiple municipal boards including code enforcement and planning & zoning.

  • Tracy Faison is a registered nurse who serves as regional administrator for Pediatric Health Choice in Lakeland, Haines City and Daytona. In the Lakeland community, Faison wrote she has been instrumental in the development of cheerleading programs, having served as executive vice president and cheerleading coordinator for Mid-Florida Football Youth and Cheerleading Conference. Her cover letter states she has a vision for affordable housing in Lakeland.

  • Daryl Forehand, a U.S. Navy veteran, serves as a pastor and diocesan bishop at Immanuel Temple Church. He is interim college dean of W. L. Bonner College in Columbia, South Carolina. In his application, Forehand said he's previously worked as commission investigator for the Florida Commission on Offender Review and Florida Department of Corrections. Residents may know him as former president of Lakeland Police Athletic League.

  • Guy LaLonde Jr., a U.S. Navy veteran, operates two small businesses in Lakeland. LaLonde is president and CEO of Lakeland Moon Walk of Polk County Inc. and Under One Tent Events Inc. He has worked his way up through Publix Supermarkets to become a meat manager. LaLonda pointed to his volunteer work with several organizations including Relay for Life, United Way of Polk County and the Special Olympics of Polk County.

  • Veronica Rountree works a community advocate for Peace of Mind Community Healthcare Services dating back to September 2011. Within the community, Rountree said she's worked as an advocate and counselor for individuals with disabilities and victims of sexual and domestic violence. She may be familiar to some from her time a vice chair of Habitat for Humanity and has served on numerous municipal board including code enforcement and the Police Citizens Advisory Board.

  • Ricky Shirah has previously run for city commission times, most recently in 2019 for the At-Large seat. Shirah is a small business owner who operates Shirah's Towing LLC. Previously, he spent 21 years working for Publix. Shirah is a member of Kiwanis Club of Lakeland and the Kathleen Lions Club.

  • Samuel Simmons is the owner of a housing and financial services consulting firm dating back to 2004. Prior to that, he worked as the finance manager for Lakeland Housing Authority. Simmons started his career as an accountant with the city. He is serves as the president of the Webster Park Neighborhood Association for about 20 years and co-founded the Central Florida Business Diversity Council.

  • Saga Stevin, who unsuccessfully ran against Mayor Bill Mutz in November 2021, has also applied to be appointed interim commissioner. Stevin works as a Platelet Rich Plasma technician, providing oversight of a patient's process and expectations during the medical procedure. In her resume, Stevin said she sits on the board of directors for the Citizens' Council for Health Freedom and Polk Education Foundation.

The commission is expected to make its decision on who will occupy the Northwest District seat at its Sept. 19 meeting at City Hall located at 228 S. Massachusetts Ave.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFL. 

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland commission considers forgoing applications to replace Walker