AIRPORT RESTAURANT: City commissioners are set to approve a contract Monday for restaurateur and aircraft company CEO Sven Lepschy to open a restaurant, Waco Kitchen, on the mezzanine at Lakeland Linder Airport. Lepschy’s company, DiMor Eats LLC, plans to invest $3 million to enlarge and renovate the existing restaurant space, which has been vacant for […]
Tag: Mayor
Posted inCity Hall / Local Gov't, Politics
Florida Gazette Publisher Denies Link to Unregistered Political Action Committee
The publisher of Lakeland Gazette denies involvement with an unregistered political action committee even though the two share a mailing address and digital links, Florida Politics reports. Both the publication and the PAC support Saga Stevin in her bid for mayor and have published repeated attacks on incumbent Bill Mutz. Mutz said he does not […]
Posted inCity Hall / Local Gov't, Politics
Video: Mayor Candidate Debate at Central Florida Business Diversity Council
Approaches to diversity and assistance to small businesses were major topics this morning when Lakeland mayor candidates Bill Mutz and Saga Stevin appeared at a forum hosted by the Central Florida Business Diversity Council. The forum was moderated by Larry Mitchell, the organization’s president. RELATED: Ledger coverage
Posted inCity Hall / Local Gov't
Video: LkldNow Mayor Candidate Forum
Here is the video from LkldNow’s Mayor Candidate Forum, held Tuesday evening at Lkld Live. The video starts just after host Andrea Oliver had introduced candidates Bill Mutz and Saga Stevin but just before she asked them the first question.
Posted inCity Hall / Local Gov't, Politics
Mutz Zooms Ahead in Latest Campaign Finance Filings
With just over a week until Election Day, the latest Lakeland campaign finance reports show that Mayor Bill Mutz now has the largest campaign chest ($57,725) and largest donor base (202) among the six people running for city office.
Posted inCity Hall / Local Gov't, Politics
Stevin Takes Heat at NAACP Forum and Claims She Was ‘Set Up’
An hour of audience questions at an NAACP candidate forum was dominated by people challenging mayoral hopeful Saga Stevin on her statements critical of Black Lives Matter, police body cameras and moving Confederate monuments. The next day she told The Ledger she had been “set up.” NAACP Lakeland Branch President Terry Coney responded that the […]
Posted inCity Hall / Local Gov't, Politics
Catching Up With the Candidates: Campaign Finance
As of the end of September, Saga Stevin and Sara Roberts McCarley had the largest campaign treasuries among the six people running for Lakeland mayor and City Commission this fall. Shandale Terrell had the most individual donors. And Allyson “Al” Lewis had the most donations from political organizations. Read on for more highlights and a […]
Posted inNews Roundup
Read It in the Morning Paper: Mayor, Qgiv
MAYOR: Polk Sheriff Grady Judd clarified that he does not endorse candidates in municipal elections. His statement came after questions were raised about whether a photo of Judd and mayoral candidate Saga Stevin on her campaign literature implied his endorsement. “I know both candidates and, of course, I am a longtime friend of Mayor Bill […]
Posted inPolitics, Public Safety
Stats: Police Calls Are Evenly Distributed Among Lakeland Quadrants
The Lakeland Police Department’s responses to calls this year have been roughly evenly divided between the four quadrants of the city, according to police department data. Calls involving northwest Lakeland comprise 25.26% of the total, not 90%, as claimed by mayoral candidate Saga Stevin at a forum this week, according to the data.
