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One week after Polk County commissioners suspended the executive director of CareerSource Polk without pay, Lakeland city commissioners wrestled with whether allegations about Stacy Campbell-Domineck’s leadership warranted removing her from the Lakeland Housing Authority (LHA) board.
CareerSource is supported by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and other agencies. It helps adults obtain job training and employment, and it creates internship, volunteer, and career opportunities for youth.
Campbell-Domineck was temporarily removed from her CareerSource position Sept. 1 after state officials accused her of poor leadership, questionable financial management, and “in some cases outright deception.” The county has launched an expedited review to determine whether she should be reinstated or fired.
Campbell-Domineck was appointed to the board of the Lakeland Housing Authority in December 2024; her term expires Dec. 2, 2028.
LHA has faced more than a year of complaints about its management and oversight. Community activist Harlem Turner has repeatedly asked the City Commission to remove Campbell-Domineck and three other board members.
Discussion without action
The commission took no action Tuesday, Sept. 8, during the City Commission meeting. Most commissioners said Stacy Campbell-Domineck’s suspension from CareerSource was not, by itself, evidence that she had neglected her Housing Authority duties.
Commissioner Chad McLeod called removal “premature,” saying allegations involving one job should not automatically carry over to an unrelated board position.
Commissioners Stephanie Madden, Terry Coney, and McLeod said they have not seen evidence that Campbell-Domineck’s conduct on the Housing Authority board meets the legal standard for removal.
Commissioner Mike Musick said he needed more information but supported speaking with Campbell-Domineck about whether she intends to remain on the board.
“If I were in that seat,” Mayor Sara Roberts McCarley said, “I would recuse myself from serving on any boards at this given time.” But the mayor said that personal judgment is different from having legal grounds to remove someone.
McCarley said she would contact Campbell-Domineck directly.
“You can’t conflate someone’s professional duties with their duties of sitting on a board,” Commissioner Ashley Troutman said. “All she’s currently under are some accusations.”
Watch the Lakeland commissioners’ discussion here.
City staff will outline the steps commissioners would have to follow if they decide to pursue removal proceedings.
Potential conflict of interest
Commissioner Guy LaLonde Jr. argued that Campbell-Domineck’s continued service undermines public confidence in the Housing Authority.
He said she should not have been appointed to the Housing Authority board while CareerSource Polk had financial and program relationships with the agency and its YouthBuild employment-training program.
“Her continued service while these matters are under investigation, I feel, reflects poorly on the city and undermines public confidence in the Housing Authority,” LaLonde said.
He called for an independent forensic audit of the financial and operational relationships among CareerSource Polk, the Housing Authority, and YouthBuild.
Troutman rejected the suggestion that Campbell-Domineck’s involvement creates a conflict. He said CareerSource provides stipends to YouthBuild participants and the Housing Authority benefits when board members bring resources and expertise from their professional lives.
“That’s not a conflict of interest,” Troutman said. “It’s supportive of your duties as a board member.”
He urged commissioners to wait for the investigation.
“Just because a powerful agency says something about another agency does not mean that it’s accurate,” Troutman said. “Let’s tamp down the temperature and allow process to go through.”
CareerSource Polk investigation
The CareerSource controversy began with an Aug. 25 letter to county commissioners from FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly and CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrienne Johnston.
The officials said Campbell-Domineck had “effectively abdicated her role” through a pattern of noncooperation, questionable financial management, and deception.
They ordered the County Commission to review CareerSource Polk’s leadership, board oversight, financial controls, and ability to carry out a state-mandated performance improvement plan.
The county has 15 business days to report its findings and proposed corrective actions. The state warned that failure to act could lead to reduced funding, loss of the local board’s certification, or direct state intervention.
County commissioners responded by unanimously removing Campbell-Domineck temporarily while an outside consultant conducts the review. She cannot receive pay or benefits, enter CareerSource offices, access its records, or communicate with staff or board members as executive director.
Watch the Polk commissioners’ discussion here.
Once the review is complete, commissioners will decide whether to reinstate or permanently remove her.
Campbell-Domineck, 57, earns about $220,000 annually and has a contract through June 2029.
What does the state allege?
The seven-page letter raises several concerns:
- CareerSource Polk changed procedures and trained employees without required state approval, potentially using federal money without authorization.
- Campbell-Domineck dropped three Commercial Drivers License (CDL) training providers offering seven Polk County programs, allegedly without proper notice or an adequate appeals process. That left Hillsborough Community College as the only provider.
- State officials said the CDL providers were not underperforming. Instead, they blamed CareerSource Polk’s poor results on the agency’s failure to connect graduates with suitable jobs.
- Officials criticized unapproved office closures and a policy barring children from career centers.
State officials also objected to a fundraiser and calendar called “for the LOVE of MEN … of the workforce.” CareerSource Florida’s president asked Campbell-Domineck to remove what she considered an inappropriate social media post and cancel the event.
The post came down, but the event went ahead during business hours. The letter said it was heavily influenced by diversity, equity, and inclusion themes and could amount to misuse of public money.
The county’s investigation will determine whether the allegations are supported and whether Campbell-Domineck should be terminated.
A different standard for LHA
Lakeland City Attorney Palmer Davis said the city has far less authority over the Housing Authority than the county has over CareerSource Polk.
State law allows the Polk County Commission to review CareerSource Polk’s budget and policies and remove its executive director for cause.
A Housing Authority commissioner, however, may be removed only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office.”
Davis said the most straightforward reading is that the conduct must relate specifically to the person’s Housing Authority service.
“There aren’t any cases that interpret what that means,” he said.
Removal would require formal charges, at least 10 days’ notice, and a hearing. The mayor would have to initiate the removal, and a majority of the City Commission would have to concur.
The law does not establish a separate process for temporarily suspending a Housing Authority member.
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