District D Southeast

Musick: Lakeland is an amazing place to live and work. The struggle that we are facing as a city is one that is very common throughout the country right now and that is affordability. Almost everything across the board is more expensive than it was last year. As as a current city commissioner, I have made it an effort to promote smart development to help increase the number of units that we have available for homeowners and renters to help lower rates through supply and demand. It is a nationwide problem that we need to continue to use every tool at our disposal to find a local solution.

Noble: Affordability is an issue across the board here in Lakeland. The squeeze is being felt by landlords and tenants, our young adults just starting out and our elderly. 

It pains me that we keep seeing lot rent increases. These folks bought a home to be able to retire and stretch their fixed incomes and these privately owned parks are pricing them out of retirement. 

I want to work with other municipalities facing this same issue and lobby the state for a solution since they took away our ability to have some sort of rent control for our vulnerable citizens. 
Maybe look into ways to help the residents of these parks to purchase them when they are up for sale instead of having a private equity firm gobble them up.

Musick: That is sometimes painfully obvious to those that have lived in lakeland 10 years or longer how rapid or growth and population has increased. This has led to congestion, infrastructure strain, and citizen frustration. We are all caught in the same traffic jam, and it will take a community effort to move us past this. Fortunately, when we look at the S. Florida Avenue traffic (which is a state Road) we have some design plans and funding opportunities in place which should relieve that congestion sooner than expected. As commissioners, we must work within inside of guide rails and cannot, nor should we want to stop or stymie the growth. Cities are like trees, and if we are not growing, we will certainly suffer. What we must focus on is intelligence, let’s make sure the approved development fits with the long-term viable goal of the city and the majority of its residence. It is not an easy fix, but it must be at the forefront and will take the focus of everyone involved.

Noble: This is a hot button issue. I would really love Lakeland to utilize and maintain what we already have before spreading out and building new. We still see empty buildings and lots close to downtown that should be used/converted. Parks that have unusable boardwalks, yet we are building brand new parks! 

We also need to feel safe in our spaces. Having enough police and fire personnel is paramount. 
Emergency services need to be in lockstep with our growth and we are feeling the pains of that not being the case regarding fire station 8. 

From my perspective, I personally see and hear the struggle of our residents daily. I receive almost 60 calls a week asking if we are hiring. I talk to the door dash and uber eats people who are trying to make it work. 

Lakeland needs to keep our job and career opportunities diversified, so that we pull through economic downturns and provide our citizens with ways to upskill for those better paying jobs, without having to go back to school full time.

Musick: This is a great question because I believe that everybody should keep their eyes and ears open when it comes to matters of government and public policy. As I’ve talked to my neighbors the word transparency comes up a lot. I would probably take that word and change it just a little bit from transparency to education. The City Of Lakeland does an excellent job of having information and data available. What can be difficult I have found is getting to and passing all of that information. Not everyone has the time or ability to search for answers to questions they have so I believe the city can always improve and make strides on having that information easier to get to. All of our meetings are open to the public, and I would love to see a larger showing at the commission meetings. I would also be in favor of splitting our meeting times, so that Summer in the morning and some are in the evening. We should make every effort to make our government clear, accessible, and friendly.

Noble: They adhere to the sunshine laws, that’s great.

But there is still a wall between everyday citizens and the commission. In other words, you have to go to THEM. The outreach to the community is totally off kilter. If you’re not out in the community, (not just your district), talking to everyday folks, you lose touch with the city as a whole.

The website is out of date, they feel live-streaming the meetings is transparency when the majority of us cannot get there in person unless we take off from work.

The opportunity to build trust is there. There is one commissioner that is everywhere in this city and that’s the type of commissioner I plan on being.

Musick: Hurricane Milton, the damage and heartache that followed in its aftermath is something that the commission and the City are still working on. With 38 different lakes rising water and stormwater are always a concern. I am proud of how the City Of Lakeland has worked to help mitigate the current issues as well as to be forward thinking for the “next” time. Working alongside our partner organizations like Polk County, FEMA, SWFWMD, and our neighborhoods is crucial. The city is currently working alongside an engineering company and these organizations to help with a water displacement and pumping plan that will hopefully and Lord willing make this a one time event that we all learned a great deal from.

Noble: Having spoken to the residents and toured the neighborhoods around Lake Bonny, there is still a need for preventative measures. 

We should be taking note of all our at risk neighborhoods and devise plans now, to avoid these catastrophic events where possible. Current and future construction should take this into account. 

And in the places of contention where the city shares areas with the county, a centralized action plan needs to be in place. 

The response time to Lake Bonny residents was unacceptable. 

We need to ensure our infrastructure is up to date and can handle these “once in a 100 year” events because Mother Nature doesn’t go by our timeline.

Musick: As a sitting commissioner, I would not say that there is something on the commission that has been missing. It is helpful for the City of Lakeland that our charter has term limits and that certain individuals rotate off, which do give us a new leadership perspective just about every election cycle. I have spent the last 25 years growing my small business, while being active in my church, my family and the community. My leadership over the last four years on the City commission and my focus on fiscal restraint is exactly what the citizens will see more of over the next four years. I believe it speaks volumes when you look at the individuals and organizations who are heavily invested in the city and County who have endorsed my reelection campaign.

Noble: I represent a demographic of Lakeland not seen on the current commission. One who’s most valuable asset, is time. I have taken zero money from local or big businesses so I am beholden to no one but the good people of Lakeland that want to be seen and heard. 

I want to be that bridge between our businesses and our workers. I strive for balance and sometimes I am able to explain exactly where we can meet in the middle so we’re on the same page. That page being a Lakeland that works for everyone. 

I did this in 2023 after pleading my case with Brinker (Chili’s parent company) for two years!

Chili’s implemented a tip card (instead of getting cash at the end of the day) in 2021. The system was set up to go by the “shift” which they said ended at 4pm. I needed to leave at 3 to pick up my son from school, so the person who clocked in at 3 received part of my tips from the previous 4.5 hours I worked and they were not present. 2 years I fought until they fixed the system. I don’t give up.