Lake Wales Municipal Elections for Seat 4
An editorial introduction of candidates
2024 is packed with important elections. The first of which is the Lake Wales Municipal Elections on April 2, 2024. Here is a brief introduction to the candidates for Seat 4 brought to you by The Lake Wales Voice.
Daniel Krueger, Incumbent for Seat 4
Commissioner Daniel Krueger has served in a steady and capable way in his two-year tenure. Krueger lists managing growth, economic development, and bringing greater unity to the City as his priorities. His voting record and activities both as a citizen and a member of the City CRA evidence his commitment to those priorities. While expressing concern that the City retain control of its own zoning decisions and carefully access both market ability and affordability of TND design, Krueger voted in favor of adoption of the Lake Wales Envisioned plan and has been involved in adopting zoning rewrites that will help it be enacted. He has approved several major financial investments in the Northwest Neighborhood of Lake Wales and supported the building of new homes there.
Krueger supported the arrival of Advanced Drainage Systems to Lake Wales against an organized disinformation campaign and has supported the city’s partnership with Retail Strategies. Krueger also supported the establishment of a 180 Utility Service and the implementation of a multi-modal fee on new development. Both actions make the implementation of Lake Wales Envisioned possible and were done before Dover-Kohl came on the scene. Krueger along with Williams encouraged the City to take control of the old YMCA and convert it to a City Recreation Center which has been a great benefit for Lake Wales.
Carol Gillespie, Candidate for Seat 4
Carol Gillespie is a retired attorney who moved to Lake Wales upon her retirement. She has never served in any capacity within the city of Lake Wales and has never held elected office. Because she has no track record, we can only write of her stated objectives. Gillespie, like Alvarado, lists controlling growth and supporting the Lake Wales Envisioned plan as her chief objectives. All five current Commissioners voted to commission the work on and for the adoption of the Lake Wales Envisioned Plan, so it is difficult to see what new ideas she brings to the table.
On her campaign Facebook page, Gillespie sites two articles published by lakewalesnews.net as evidence the current Commissioners are not doing their jobs well. Both of those articles have been shown to be full of inaccuracies in recent meetings and one inappropriately targeted local business owners in the Northwest area of town. Gillespie has only spoken at a City Commission meeting once, and that was to speak against the newly established business incubator on Lincoln Avenue.
Her lack of critical reading of the news may be connected to the fact Robert Connors who is an editor of lakewalesnews.net was listed as a voter outreach member of her campaign team. However, once word spread of this connection her campaign website was later altered to remove Conners from the list.
BEFORE:
web.archive.org/web/20240221213746/https://carolgillespiecampaign.com/team-members/
NOW:
https://carolgillespiecampaign.com/team-members/
Gillespie has no leadership or voting record in Lake Wales however she has shared her belief that all government vehicles should be electric, all future homes built should be required to have 220 volt outlets in their garages for electric vehicles, EV charging stations should be installed in all public parking at the city’s expense. These are the only policy statements that distinguish her in any way from the current commissioners.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=694676906110009
Gillespie receives publicity through her campaign team, articles written on lakewalesnews.net, and by the Rainbow Ridge LGBTA Democratic Caucus.
The Lake Wales Voice encourages all citizens to vote in the upcoming municipal elections on April 2.
Mail in Voting Update:
Following a new Florida law, all voters who would like to vote by mail in upcoming elections, including the 2024 Presidential Election, must submit a new request. Even if you have voted by mail in the past, the law says you need to renew.
Who wrote this article? Danny Krueger's campaign manager?