Lake Wales City Government - City Administration

Except as noted below, administrative staff may be reached at (863) 678-4182 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

City Manager - Terry Leary . . . . . ext.225
The City Manager is the city's Chief Administrative Officer and is responsible for all city operations, capital assets, and financial resources.

City Clerk - Clara VanBlargan . . . . . ext. 228
The City Clerk provides support to the City Commisson and is responsible for the city's record management program, public records requests, city elections, and coordination of appointments to citizen boards and commissions.

Economic Development Director - Harold Gallup . . . . . ext. 224
The Economic Development Director is responsible for the development of the Longleaf Business Park and the economic revitalization of the Historic Downtown and Lincoln Avenue business districts.

Finance Director - Dorothy Pendergrass . . . . . . ext. 257
The Finance Director is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the city including accounting, cash management, budget support, payroll, accounts payable, business licensing, financial reporting, and utility billing and customer service.

Fire Chief - Jerry Brown . . . . . 678-4206
The Fire Chief is responsible for providing fire prevention and suppression services and emergency medical services to city residents and businesses. The Lake Wales Fire Department also provides fire services to areas of unincorporated Polk County and participates in the state-wide Mutual Aid program for provision of emergency services.

Human Resources Director - Sandra Davis . . . . . ext. 231
The Human Resources Director is responsible for personnel, benefits, insurance, and risk management administration. The Human Resources Director serves as the city's representative in contract negotiations with the police and firefighter collective bargaining units.

Planning & Development Director - Margaret Swanson . . . . . ext. 229
The Planning & Development Director is responsible for administration of the city's zoning, land use and development regulations, for review of proposed development projects for consistency with the city's comprehensive plan, and for processing annexations, rezoning requests, and comprehensive plan amendments. The Planning & Development Director also supervises the Permits & Inspections Department.

Police Chief - Chris Velasquez . . . . . 678-4271
The Police Chief is responsible for all city law enforcement activities. City Code Enforcement is also a division of the Lake Wales Police Department. In partnership with the Polk County School Board, the Police Department also provides School Resource Officers to the Lake Wales High School and McLaughlin Middle School.

Public Works Director - Tom Moran . . . . . ext. 287
The Public Works Director oversees the daily operations of the Public Services Department (Streets, Parks, Cemetery, Recreation Facilities, and Airport) and the Utilities Department (Water, Wastewater, Reuse, and Stormwater). The Public Works Director is also responsible for planning and managing the capital improvement programs of these departments.

Purchasing/Support Services Director - Bonnie Hodge . . . . . ext. 264
The Purchasing/Support Services Director oversees the procurement of goods and services and supervises the inventory and facilities maintenance functions. The Purchasing/Support Services Director also manages the contract with Polk County for fleet maintenance services.