EAGLE LAKE, Fla. — Several Polk County leaders have resigned, now that a new state law requires local elected officials to disclose more detailed financial information.
Cory Coler has served as the Mayor of Eagle Lake since 2018.
"Serving as the mayor has been an honor, to be able to represent the city. To help coordinate some of our meetings and welcome new businesses into the city," said Coler.
Friday, December 29, was his last day in office after he submitted his resignation on the 14th.
Coler felt that having to disclose his detailed financial information was too intrusive.
A new Florida law mandates that municipal elected officials complete Form 6, which is a full disclosure of individual assets and liabilities of more than $1,000.
Officials must also report clients and customers contributing more than 10% of their business’s gross income if they own more than 5% of a business that produces more than $1,000.
"Form 6 is a really invasive look at every piece of our finances all the way down to reporting how much is in my daughter's savings account," Coler said.
Coler joined several elected officials throughout the Tampa Bay Area who have cited the new form as the reason for their resignation, including Eagle Lake City Commissioner Scott Clark, Bartow City Commissioner Steve Githens, and at least two other elected officials in Polk County.
While some residents said they like the extra transparency, Coler worries that the mandatory disclosure will deter qualified candidates from running for office.
"Especially in smaller cities where your residency is 3,000 or 4,000 residents. For most of those people, it's a smaller part-time thing that they do for love of community, and this puts a lot of overhead on being able to provide that,” Coler said.
