Fort Meade Commissioner Status Update Missing Records

FORT MEADE, Fla. — In a significant development following The Citrus Tea News investigative report published July 17, 2026, Fort Meade City Commissioner Candice Lott confirmed Wednesday that City Manager Troy Bell is actively working to prepare and update the city’s outstanding commission meeting minutes, and that Interim City Clerk Olivia Martin has completed the minutes for the July 14, 2026 City Commission meeting.

On July 14, 2026, three August 2025 commission meeting minutes were added to the agenda presented and approved by the commission, nearly 11 months after those meetings occurred, triggering a more thorough look into the city’s public records.

Lott’s latest response, received Wednesday, July 23, 2026, makes her the only sitting Fort Meade city commissioner to respond directly to The Citrus Tea News since the publication began covering the missing public records and the unexplained discrepancy in signed petitions.

Status of missing public records

In her statement, Lott wrote, “I have read your concerns and understand the importance of accurate public records and transparency in local government.”

Lott shared what she learned directly from the city manager.

“I spoke with the City Manager, and he advised that he is utilizing every available resource to prepare and update the outstanding commission meeting minutes as efficiently and accurately as possible,” Lott wrote.

Commissioner Lott’s response confirmed that Interim Deputy City Clerk Olivia Martin completed the July 14, 2026 minutes, though they have not yet been submitted to the commission for formal approval and, as of publication, these minutes do not appear on the city’s website document center in any form, draft, or approved. The next city meeting is scheduled for August 11, 2026.

Lott expressed appreciation for the progress being made and what she described as the city’s commitment to reestablishing a timely and consistent process for the preparation and approval of commission meeting minutes going forward.

Lott directed questions about the administrative process and timeline for completing the remaining minutes to City Manager Troy Bell, whom she confirmed is overseeing that effort. Bell has not responded to questions as of publication.

On July 23, 2026, The Citrus Tea News attempted to contact City Manager Troy Bell by phone. A message was left on his voicemail, followed up by an email. Bell has not responded.

As of publication, the City of Fort Meade has not answered directly as to whether the outstanding commission meeting minutes, including the April 14, 2026 minutes, exist in any form, whether as a draft, an unapproved version, or otherwise or if these minutes are being prioritized for completion given the publicity of that meeting in particular.

What the Original Investigation Found

The Citrus Tea News published an investigative report on July 17, 2026, documenting that the official meeting minutes of the April 14, 2026 Fort Meade City Commission meeting, the night commissioners unanimously approved a $2.6 billion data center development agreement with Maryland-based Stonebridge, have never been submitted to the commission for approval and do not appear anywhere in the city’s publicly available digital records. The review also found a broader pattern of commission meeting minutes absent from the digital public record spanning multiple meetings dating back to June 24, 2025.

Read the full Investigative Report: No Approved Public Record Exists for Fort Meade’s $2.6 Billion Data Center Vote.

The newly retained city attorney, Zackery Good, added an agenda item to review Florida Sunshine Law statutes and public records requirements at the June 9, 2026 commission meeting. The presentation was deferred at that meeting due to two commissioners being absent and was deferred again at the July 14, 2026 meeting. The Sunshine Law presentation is currently scheduled for the August 11, 2026 Fort Meade City Commission meeting.

Outstanding Questions

The Citrus Tea News submitted multiple formal public records requests to the City of Fort Meade under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Interim City Clerk Olivia Martin confirmed receipt of those requests on July 17, 2026, after stating that all public records requests must go through the city attorney via email.

The July 17, 2026 public records requests included:

A copy of the official minutes of the April 14, 2026 Fort Meade City Commission meeting in any form in which they exist, including any draft, unsigned, or unapproved version. A review of the city’s publicly available digital records confirms that no approved minutes for that meeting appear in the city’s standalone minutes archive, in any agenda packet, or anywhere else in the city’s publicly available digital records.

The city was asked to confirm in writing if the minutes do not exist in any form, or if they exist but have not yet been submitted to the commission for approval, to confirm that in writing and provide any available draft.

The dates each set of meeting minutes from August 2025 through July 17, 2026 was submitted to the full commission for approval.

For each Fort Meade City Commission meeting from August 2025 through July 17, 2026, the date of any agenda amendment, a description of what was amended, and the name of the person who authorized the amendment.

Any written city policy governing the preparation, approval timeline, and public posting of commission meeting minutes.

Any written city policy governing agenda amendments, including who is authorized to amend an agenda and what documentation is required when an amendment is made.

The date the City of Fort Meade submitted its most recent Water Use Permit or Water Use Permit modification application to the Southwest Florida Water Management District and its current status. If a modification has not yet been filed, the cover or summary page of the current active Water Use Permit showing the major allocation categories including residential, commercial, industrial, and large-scale use.

Any official statement issued by the city, any commissioner, or the city attorney regarding Case 2026CA-003001-A000-BA and Case 2026CA-002488-A000-BA filed May 14, 2026.

Any non-disclosure agreement entered into by any city official, commissioner, or city attorney related to the Stonebridge data center project. If claimed exempt, the specific statutory exemption.

On July 23, 2026, The Citrus Tea News submitted an additional formal Chapter 119 public records request for a copy of the July 14, 2026 City Commission meeting minutes in their current form, including any draft or unapproved version, confirmed completed by the Interim City Clerk Olivia Martin.

As of publication, the city has yet to provide any of the requested public record documents. On July 17, 2026, Martin did confirm receipt of 3 public records requests submitted by The Citrus Tea News. Confirmation on the July 23 request has not yet been received.

Signed Recall Petition Count Discrepancy Still Unexplained

Chain of custody questions remain unanswered following the Fort Meade Recall Committee submitting the first round of petitions to the Interim Deputy City Clerk at City Hall on July 15. The Polk County Supervisor of Elections preliminary count shows 55 more signatures than the Fort Meade Recall Committee’s own internal count across three petitions targeting Mayor Jaret Landon Williams, Vice Mayor Petrina McCutchen, and Commissioner Matthew Taylor. The sealed box of petitions passed through city hands before reaching the SOE. The city has not responded to public records requests about the chain of custody. The SOE expects to fulfill its public records request as soon, though Nathan Register, Chief of Staff of Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office stated that counts are not official until certified by their office within 30 days of receipt.

The Citrus Tea News will continue to provide updates on its investigative reporting of the missing public records, signed recall petition count discrepancies, and the Stonebridge data center project.

Editor's Note: The information contained in this article was gathered and reported in good faith based on direct written communications with Commissioner Candice Lott, voicemail and email correspondence with City Manager Troy Bell, and a review of publicly available records. The Citrus Tea News made every effort to verify the accuracy of the information presented prior to publication. If any information contained in this article is found to be inaccurate or incomplete, The Citrus Tea News will promptly issue a correction or update. Corrections and updates will be noted within the article. Readers with additional information relevant to this reporting or corrections are encouraged to contact The Citrus Tea News at [email protected].

Sources: Commissioner Candice Lott, Fort Meade City Commission, written responses, July 20 and July 23, 2026; City Manager Troy Bell, City of Fort Meade, voicemail and email correspondence, July 23, 2026; Olivia Martin, Interim City Clerk, City of Fort Meade; Chapter 119, Florida Statutes; Nathan Register, Chief of Staff, Polk County Supervisor of Elections, email correspondence, July 16 and July 17, 2026;The Citrus Tea News investigative report, July 17, 2026, thecitrustea.com;