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LEFT: On September 6, 2017 the 7th Annual
Mayors Roundtable was hosted by Polk
State College at the Center for Public Safety.
Government
Advisory Team
The Government Advisory Team
serves to bring together all levels of
local government to create more
awareness, cooperation and support
of Polk Vision and the initiatives of its
LEAD Teams. This includes providing
review and guidance on both foreseen
and unforeseen opportunities that
intersect with a strategy or tactic
impacting the potential success of a
goal established by a Polk Vision LEAD
Team.
The Government Team also works
to effectively engage citizens by
producing a series of educational
offerings each year such as the Mayors
Roundtable, State of the County,
Elected Leadership Summit, and
legislative workshops.
MAYORS ROUNDTABLE
For the 7th year in a row, the Polk
Vision Government Team hosted a
half-day roundtable for the Mayors of
Polk County. This unique event allows
the mayors to discuss topics critical to
their communities and the county as
a whole.
Mayors from 11 of the county's 17
municipalities and Board of County
Commissioners, Chair, Melony Bell,
participated in this year's event which
was moderated by Emily Rogers,
of Emily Rogers Consulting and
Coaching
Topics of discussion included the
consequences of rapid population
growth on infrastructure including
roads and transportation, water usage
and conservation, and the potential
impact of legislative changes to the
homestead exemption. Emergency
services and storm preparedness were
also discussed as Hurricane Irma was
tracking to impact Polk County.
LEGISLATIVE WARMUP
The Legislative Warm-Up included
an overview of the legislative process,
together with a conversation
regarding best practices for how
citizens can most effectively engage
their legislators. Discussion also
included important issues likely to be
addressed during the 2018 Legislative
Session.
TOP: On November 3, 2017 renowned
author, political scientist, and University
of South Florida professor Dr. Susan
MacManus, moderated a panel
discussion with members of the Polk
County Legislative Delegation.
Hosted by Lakeland Regional Health/
Hollis Cancer Center, in attendance
were Florida House Representatives Ben
Albritton – District 56, Colleen Burton –
District 40, and Neil Combee – District
39, and Senator Kelly Stargel - District 22.