by Matt Wright
Former Commissioner and Vice Mayor of Lakeland, Josh Roman, will be the new Mayor of Lakeland. That news coming out after Mr. Roman was the only candidate to successfully turn in a petition to secure his position for Mayor on the November ballot. The deadline to turn in a petition was today, August 18, 2022. A write-in campaign for Mayor is still possible, but as of today no other candidates have expressed an interest and write-in campaigns are rarely successful. Current Mayor Mike Cunningham announced this past May he would not seek reelection after completing his first term.
In the past, Lakeland typically had contentious elections, especially for the Mayor’s seat, but Mr. Roman thinks those days are now behind Lakeland, at least for the time being. “I hope that running unopposed for the Mayor’s seat shows that people have a lot of trust in my leadership and others that are running for school board and commission,” he said. “I really believe we will look back and realize that trust started under former Mayor Wyatt Bunker when he was able to secure a middle school for the city which ultimately led to my part in securing the high school,” Mr. Roman said.
Mr. Roman said his goals for Lakeland includes a “Fast Start” plan which would focus on three main objectives. First, he wants to provide The Lake District, the $400 million mixed-use development located at I-40 and Canada Road, his full support, and attention. “I don’t feel like they have had the city’s full support recently and I intend to change that. We need to fully support that important development,” he said. Second, he wants to work on the John Hyneman development, now called Ashmont, the 99-acre mixed-used project located at Canada Road and Davies Plantation Road (more about that project here). “I want to make sure that starts strong and it’s what we hope it can be,” Mr. Roman said. “Those revenues will be reinvested back into the area so it’s an important project.” Third, Mr. Roman said he wants to be sure the new city phone app, called “Lakeland Connect”, is fully transparent and that citizens’ concerns are addressed promptly (more about the app here). Citizens can use the app to submit concerns like potholes or other issues they would like addressed.
Mr. Roman, and his family, which includes his wife Ursula and their daughters Baylor and Mallory, have lived in Lakeland since 2001. He has a long history of service to the city including serving on the Economic Development Council from 2005-2015 as well as a Commissioner and Vice Mayor from 2015-2020. He’s been a staunch supporter of Lakeland schools since its inception, which is where his daughters attend school. He owns an All-State Insurance Agency and he’s a graduate of the University of Memphis as well as holding an MBA from Babson College.
“Lakeland has been our home for over 20 years,” he said. “I’m excited for this opportunity to serve once more.”
