We recently asked our readers what they wanted to know about Lakeland's government, and more than 74% said they wanted information on what the different government positions do. Kudos to you for your show of civic engagement.

The City of Lakeland is one of Polk County's 17 municipalities. While the City's only elected officials are the mayor + City Commission, there are also several elected officials across Polk County whose office functions are crucial to Lakelanders. Before you mark your next ballot, here's a quick breakdown of what each of these officials do and how often they are elected:

The City Commission meets here in City Hall. | Photo provided by the City of Lakeland

City of Lakeland elected officials

Mayor

Elected every four years
Using aspects of both a "strong mayor" and"weak mayor" system, Lakeland's mayor is a full-time position who also serves as a city commissioner.

City Commission

Elected every four years
Including the mayor, Lakeland's City Commission includes seven officials representing the various districts of Lakeland. They work to develop and enact policies, decide on local tax rates, balance the city budget, address community issues, and more. Find your city commissioner.

Polk County elected officials

County Commission

Districts One, Three, and Five: Elected in presidential election years
Districts Two and Four: Elected in the intervening years
Similar to the City Commission, the Board of County Commissioners includes five officials who represent districts across all of Polk County. Lakelanders who live outside of city limits are represented by a County Commissioner instead of a City Commissioner.

Find the Clerk's Lakeland branch at 930 E. Parker St., inside the Polk Government Center. | Photo by LALtoday

Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller

Elected every four years
This office is responsible for safeguarding public records and public funds. Some of its key functions include managing the county's jury system, processing passports + marriage licenses, and conducting foreclosures and tax deed sales.

Supervisor of Elections

Elected every four years
This office administers all elections and provides support for municipal elections. It also maintains the list of registered voters for the county, qualifies candidates for county offices, and receives candidate campaign financial disclosure reports.

PCPS school buses | Photo via @polkcountypublicschools

School Board

Elected every four years
The Polk County School Board determines and adopts policies + programs geared towards improving and optimizing the operations of Polk County Public Schools. Its seven members represent various geographic districts of the county.

Property Appraiser

Elected every four years
The Property Appraiser determines the value of all property in the county. Additionally, this office administers homestead exemptions and must determine if properties are entitled to Agricultural Classification.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office | Photo by @thelaltoday

Sheriff

Elected every four years
The sheriff is responsible for patrol and investigative duties throughout Polk's unincorporated regions, as well as oversight of county jails and court security. It also provides law enforcement services for six of the county's 17 municipalities: Frostproof, Polk City, Eagle Lake, Fort Meade, Dundee, and Mulberry.

Tax Collector

Elected every four years
The primary responsibility of this office is to provide state services to Polk County residents such as issuing driver licenses and titles, collecting sales taxes, and reporting + distributing revenues to the state.

What other government positions — elected or appointed — are you interested in learning more about? Let us know + we may feature them in an upcoming newsletter.