City of Lake Wales

The City of Lake Wales is governed by a five-member City Commission: four commissioners elected by district and a mayor, each serving a three-year term. Commission meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month, with time set aside for public comment, and are televised and streamed live.

The city is investing in its streets and downtown. Its Pavement Management Program, funded for the first time in 2021, is a six-year plan that rates every roadway and prescribes treatment such as resurfacing or preservation seals. The Park Avenue and Market Plaza redesign earned a statewide planning honor in 2026, Stuart Avenue is next in line for downtown beautification, and pedestrian and bicycle connections are expanding in the historic core.