Maitland councilmen go unchallenged

The city of Maitland has two returning council members.

Mike Thomas and Michael Wilde will continue to fill seats on the Maitland City Council. Both candidates were unchallenged for their positions — the 2019 municipal election’s qualifying period started Jan. 21 and finished Jan. 25 with no applicants. 

Thomas, a former journalist and columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, defeated city volunteer Mike Dabby in 2016 for his first term.

Wilde, who served on Maitland city boards for eight years, was appointed as an interim councilman in late November to fill in the council seat formerly held by new State Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil. 

Both Thomas and Wilde will be sworn in for their new terms at the April 8 meeting. 

Michael Wilde

Wilde, an attorney with the BakerHostetler firm, moved to Central Florida in 2003 from the Northeast and then to Maitland three years later. He has served on Maitland’s Lake Advisory board for two years — he had an early interest in kayaks and boating — before joining the Planning and Zoning board for six years. 

It’s that time spent with the city that makes Wilde confident he can benefit the city as a councilman. After spending years with P&Z and seeing projects and initiatives be created and moved to City Council for approval, he decided it was time to make the next step. 

“I’ve got a lot of experience seeing what was coming through the city, the concerns of citizens,” Wilde said. “With all the changes happening in Maitland, seeing what people’s reactions were and how that was evolving. … I thought I could contribute. I like being part of the community and helping where I can.”

The time spent on council so far has felt familiar to Wilde. He has watched the Independence Lane project, the city’s premiere downtown initiative, slowly form over the last six years and is optimistic about its future when additional stores open at Maitland City Centre. 

He’s also interested in improving the city’s sidewalks and infrastructure in the coming year. 

“It feels good,” Wilde said. “It’s nice to know I’ll be there and be able to have that input for three years and a full term. I think we have a great city.”

Mike Thomas

Thomas will once again serve as a Maitland councilman for a three-year term.

Running unopposed this term was much easier but not necessarily more satisfying, Thomas said. 

“I believe in democracy; I believe in competitive races for political office,” Thomas said. “In that regard, it’s a bit disappointing. But the system doesn’t make it easy to run.”

He said he plans to continue fighting for a bicycle and pedestrian trail that better connects Maitland, continue to improve the city’s parks and increased access to the city’s lakes. A priority for Thomas is to have continued focus on the city’s burgeoning downtown area and a further-supported Maitland City Centre. 

It’s a sizable number of goals, but Thomas is optimistic about what he and council can accomplish in the coming year

“We’ve got the right council and the right staff, and we’re moving ahead for the next few years,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”