Lakeland officials set timeline to interview, choose Phillip Walker's replacement
LAKELAND — Lakeland officials have hammered out a path moving forward to chose the interim commissioner for the city's Northwest District.
The commission will begin interviewing the eight prospective candidates at 8 a.m. Oct. 10 at City Hall, located at 228 S. Massachusetts Ave. Under Florida's Sunshine Law, the interviews will be open to the public.
Under the City Charter, City Attorney Palmer Davis said there is no legal requirement for the commissioners to interview the applicants. Residents have called for public interviews in an effort to foster a democratic and transparent process.
Previously: Facing term limits, Phillip Walker withdraws request to be reappointed to Lakeland commission
How it started: Lakeland Commissioner Phillip Walker seeks reappointment to seat he resigned to run for House
Mayor Bill Mutz asked each commissioner to draft a list of questions they would like each of the applicants to address during a 10-minute presentation. Officials were instructed to send their list to Davis.
The commissioners are expected to discuss the questions and directives submitted and finalize a list at their Sept. 30 agenda study. This list of talking points will be provided to candidates ahead of the interview.
"These are guiding conformity if you want to know what we want to know," Mutz said.
If one of the applicants cannot attend the Oct. 10 interview, the mayor has suggested the individual give their presentation via Zoom.
Once all candidates are interviewed, the commission plans to narrow the field to the top three applicants.
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The commission will decide at their Oct. 17 meeting
The commission will decide at their Oct. 17 meeting who will be the interim commissioner to fill the remaining year of Commissioner Phillip Walker's elected term. Commissioner Bill Read said there may be a chance he will be unable to attend the vote.
Residents will be given the opportunity to provide feedback and comments on the applicants ahead of the commission's decision. The candidates are:
Lolita Berrien, an administrative assistant for Polk County Public Schools since August 1997
Tracy Faison is a registered nurse who serves as regional administrator for Pediatric Health Choice in Lakeland, Haines City and Daytona.
Daryl Forehand, a U.S. Navy veteran, who serves as a pastor and diocesan bishop at Immanuel Temple Church
Guy LaLonde Jr., a U.S. Navy veteran, who operates two small businesses in Lakeland
Veronica Rountree works as a community advocate for Peace of Mind Community Healthcare Services
Ricky Shirah, a small business owner who operates Shirah's Towing LLC
Samuel Simmons, owner of a housing and financial services consulting firm since 2004
Saga Stevin, a Platelet Rich Plasma technician, providing oversight of a patient's process and expectations during the medical procedure
Walker withdrew his name from the list of candidates last Wednesday. His decision came after Davis said the city could face a potential legal challenge if Walker was reappointed asserting he's term limited.
In November 2019, voters approved a referendum to change the city charter to limit elected officials to 12 years or three terms.
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Walker first took office in January 2010 after a special election and has served 12 years and 8 months. As such, it could be argued he was term limited from being reappointed, according to Davis. He was protected by a grandfather clause allowing him to run for re-election in November 2019, but that protection "arguably" ends when he leaves office.
Walker's last day in office is Nov. 6.
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 leaders set to interview, select interim commissioner
