District C Southwest

Odisho: Our community needs more livable wage jobs with insurance and benefits, thoughtful development, and improved infrastructure, and that’s exactly what I want to help deliver. I will focus on attracting new businesses while supporting local entrepreneurs so we can create good paying jobs that keep talent here. Development must be balanced, protecting the character of our neighborhoods while bringing new opportunities for families. At the same time, we must invest in infrastructure – roads, utilities, drainage, and public spaces to keep pace with growth and improve quality of life. With careful planning and accountability, we can build a stronger, more prosperous community that works for everyone. With our proximity to MacDill Air Force Base, we can attract artificial intelligence/defense to our Innovation District and numerous healthcare support firms to help service our new and future hospitals, AdventHealth and Orlando Health.

Troutman: To improve the quality of life for Lakelanders and make Lakeland more livable we must improve the safety for pedestrians using active forms of transportation (bicycling, walking, wheelchair, motorized scooters, etc). This can be accomplished by working with communications staff to implement an awareness campaign. Next, continuing to support planning and zoning staff in their complete streets initiative. Vision partners like Lakeland and Polk Vision also play a role in bringing to light gaps in infrastructure. Adopting some concepts of the “15-minute city” will help improve safety and lessen the number of vehicles on the road. We must also lower daily commute times for residents by working with transit partners to get the Wabash extension complete and identify other north/south connectors. Lastly, to make the city livable we need to go to where the people are and gather their opinions regarding locations for pedestrian cross walks, or where curb cuts/ramps can be prioritized.

Odisho: Growth and infrastructure go hand in hand. We need to ensure that critical infrastructure is in place prior to approving developments that will draw in thousands of people. We can strengthen our community without losing what makes it special, if done thoughtfully with input from residents and subject matter experts. This means careful planning, protecting neighborhoods from overdevelopment, and investing in schools, roads, and public services. My goal is to encourage development that expands opportunity and support for families and small businesses, while keeping our community affordable, livable, and prepared for the future.

Troutman: My vision for dealing with growth and balancing it with economic development is to embrace it and strategically plan for it. Strategic planning takes a collaborative spirit from all stakeholders and a willingness to give concession where needed and sharing in the costs. Costs can’t be on develpers alone and it can’tbe on taxpayers alone, but a balanced approach. This approach of embracing growth through startegic planning will allow us to look ahead and decide where we want we want to preferably aim growth. Downtown, the RP Funding Center, the Medical corridor, Central Florida Innovation District, etc all started with a vision. We need to ask the questions where do we want to be & check our progress towards that. How I see us doing that now is encouraging density in the urban core, supporting small business, and targeting job growth in the high tech industries with our LEDC partners.

Odisho: I believe trust in city government starts with honesty, accessibility, and results. I will make city decisions transparent, keep budgets and projects open to the public, and communicate clearly about progress and challenges as we all know bad news doesn’t get better with time. I will listen to every neighborhood, treat all residents fairly, and respond quickly to concerns, big or small. Most importantly, I will follow through on promises and hold myself accountable. I’d like to leverage technology to work smarter and find ways to reduce budgets, while improving quality.

Troutman: I will help increase trust in city government by supporting the principle of free speech in public squares. Whenever speech is silenced suspicion rises and trust is eroded. To also build trust in city government I would also advocate to get our staff members in every department trained in customer service. Each resident/tax payer/business merchant is the customer of city government and each city employee should adopt this attitude. As Regan often stated government should be working for the people and not the other way around. With a customer service attitude citizens will begin to trust that decisions that are made are for their welfare and not for harm. Lastly, access is critical. Government’s approach to transparency is often slow to media’s changing landscape. As a commissioner I would encourage our communications department to explore what other opportunities there are to give constituents access to information and conversations before decisions get made.

Odisho: I will address extreme weather by making our infrastructure stronger, safer, and more resilient. For heat, we’ll expand green spaces, plant trees, and ensure our public transportation bus stops are covered. To prepare for storms I’ll push for enforcing stronger building standards for hospitals, schools, and emergency services. For flooding, I’ll support raising vulnerable roads, improving stormwater drainage, and protecting utilities by elevating or floodproofing critical equipment. I’ll also back investments in natural defenses like wetlands that reduce flooding and erosion. I’ll prioritize maintenance and regular inspections, so our systems don’t fail when we need them most. My approach will combine practical upgrades, long-term planning, and collaboration with experts, so our community is not only prepared to withstand extreme weather, but be able to recover quickly and protect families, businesses, and taxpayers.

Troutman: I will address resilience issues by meeting with department heads and then working with the Mayor, City Commissioners, and the City Manager to make sure we have prioritized the welfare of the public in making decisions on where to invest money based on the needs of the department. Even in down years I will encourage the team to keep making investments into things like equipment upgrades, underground powerlines, tree trimming starting in low income areas and our homebound seniors, and making sure our emergency response plans are both reviewed and tested.

Odisho: As a builder, I know what it takes to turn blueprints into reality – careful planning, teamwork, and accountability. Every project demands problem solving, managing budgets, and bringing diverse people together to get the job done. Those same qualities are what our community needs in leadership. I believe in building strong foundations, not just in construction, but in government – laying the groundwork for safe neighborhoods, responsible growth, and opportunities for every family. Just as I stand behind the work I build, I will stand by my promises as your commissioner.

Troutman: Although I am not certain what is missing from the commission, but the qualities I bring is the willingness to listen to others even when their life experience, world view, and values differ from my own. I also bring a visionary outlook and a fortitude to see beyond now and encourage us towards what can be tomorrow. This vision is rooted, however, in an awareness and understanding of our past story as Lakelanders. I have knowledge and awareness of our story from lots of different angels ethnically, socio-economically, culturally, and more. I’ve navigated throughout my life in different spaces go gain awareness and understanding across these boundaries. This is also why I am also known for my balanced approach to issues because of the myriad of perspectives I often bring to decision making.