Municipal leaders in Lakeland are currently assessing the standing of Stacy Campbell-Domineck on the Lakeland Housing Authority’s governing board. The discussions follow her recent suspension from her leadership role at the county’s workforce development agency amid serious state-level allegations regarding financial management. For the moment, however, she continues to hold her appointed seat on the housing agency’s board of directors.
The controversy stems from formal concerns raised late last month by state authorities. On August 25, 2026, Florida Commerce and CareerSource Florida presented severe accusations regarding Campbell-Domineck’s oversight of CareerSource Polk. The state agencies highlighted multiple operational issues, citing questionable fiscal management practices, potential unauthorized expenditures of public funds, and instances of outright deception in the organization's administration.
In response to those findings, the Polk County Commission, which maintains governance oversight over the local workforce agency, took decisive administrative action. On September 1, the commission voted to temporarily relieve Campbell-Domineck of her duties as executive director without pay pending further review of the state's complaints.
Campbell-Domineck has served as a member of the Lakeland Housing Authority Board of Directors since December 2024. Seats on the housing authority's board are filled through appointments made by the mayor of Lakeland, with directors typically serving four-year terms to help guide local public housing policies and organizational oversight.
During a city commission meeting on September 8, Commissioner Guy LaLonde voiced strong concerns about the ethical implications of her continued tenure on the housing board. Quoting directly from the state's findings, LaLonde argued that allowing an official facing such allegations to remain on the board damages the credibility of the housing authority and casts a negative shadow over the municipal government as a whole.
Not all city commissioners shared the view that immediate action was necessary. Commissioner Ashley Troutman urged his colleagues to exercise patience, cautioning against hasty conclusions while formal investigations remain underway. He argued that public officials must permit investigative processes to conclude thoroughly so that decisions are based entirely on substantiated facts rather than initial accusations.
To illustrate his point, Troutman referenced his previous experience serving on the Polk State College District Board of Trustees. During that period, former college president Angela Garcia Falconetti faced public scrutiny and an official inquiry regarding the utilization of scholarship funds for student fees. That comprehensive investigation ultimately cleared Falconetti of any wrongdoing, establishing that no laws or institutional policies had been breached.
Addressing the legal parameters surrounding board member removals, City Attorney Palmer Davis explained that the city must adhere strictly to statutory procedures. Under Florida law, removing a housing authority board member requires specific formal charges alleging ineffectiveness, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office. Additionally, any accused board member must be granted a minimum of ten days to respond to the allegations as part of mandatory due process protections.
Mayor Sara Roberts McCarley observed that, throughout her tenure as both a commissioner and mayor, she could not recall a single instance where a sitting board member was formally removed from office. She directed the commission to coordinate closely with the city attorney’s office to evaluate the proper legal pathways moving forward and stated her intention to speak directly with Campbell-Domineck regarding the situation.
Despite the procedural complexities, the mayor expressed her view that voluntary stepping down would be the most appropriate course of action under the circumstances. McCarley remarked that were she under simultaneous review by both county and state entities, personal integrity and public perception would compel her to recuse herself from serving on any municipal boards. Her position was backed by Commissioners LaLonde and Mike Musick.
The debate surrounding Campbell-Domineck's board seat comes at a time when the Lakeland Housing Authority is already navigating intense public scrutiny. For more than a year, local residents and housing agency employees have brought forward a variety of grievances regarding the agency's daily governance, record-keeping practices, and oversight mechanisms.
Community advocates and civic leaders, including Harlem Turner and Michael Joseph, have repeatedly approached the Lakeland City Commission to demand greater transparency and accountability from the housing authority. Among the recurring issues raised by community members are allegations of favoritism in housing placement decisions and the questionable termination of housing assistance for local families.
These ongoing concerns prompted Commissioner LaLonde to request a comprehensive disclosure of agency records and an independent third-party audit in late August 2025. Lakeland Housing Authority Executive Director Ben Stevenson stated that while he had not directly received that specific request, he did not fear an impartial and fair examination of the agency's operations.
Stevenson has consistently disputed the accusations leveled against the housing authority's administration, with one notable exception. He previously acknowledged that several of his relatives are employed by the agency, though he maintained that structural degrees of separation exist within the organization and that none of his family members report directly to him.
In an effort to address the community's persistent concerns and assess the internal climate of the housing authority, Mayor Roberts McCarley has directed city commissioners to conduct individual, one-on-one meetings with members of the agency's board of directors as the city continues to evaluate its oversight options.
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