Lockhart Residents Fed Up with Orange County Government

Something is stirring in the small town of Lockhart. The residents are taking back their town through grassroots efforts such as, community development, beautification and good old-fashioned “sweat equity.”

Citizen unrest has been growing as surrounding areas, such as Apopka, see millions of county dollars flowing their way. Most recently, for example, the Orange County Commission approved some $7 million to build six new soccer fields – none in Lockhart – part of a larger $84 million stadium deal that received substantial funding ($20 million) from the County and should see Orlando City Soccer bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Orlando.

According to Lockhart residents, there is one small neighborhood playground to accommodate over 3,000 Lockhart homes and it does not have a restroom facility.

Lockhart residents are tired of feeling like the underdog of Orange County and as a result have come together and formed The People of Lockhart Community Association. Within the last three weeks alone, board members have held an essay writing contest for middle-school students to encourage higher academic scores, organized a free baseball clinic for local children and conducted a resident-initiated community cleanup day.

During the cleanup last Saturday, parents proudly included their children (some as young as 12 months) in the effort. Volunteers were struck by the response from several of their neighbors, who came out of their homes to wave and express gratitude, as well as passing cars which stopped to thank them for their efforts. Even County Commissioner Fred Brummer (District 2) was put to work picking up litter and supporting the efforts of the residents.

Things are changing in the small town of Lockhart – as community participation grows, it seems as though the underdog may pull through after all.

For more information on upcoming events in Lockhart, visit their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PeopleOfLockhart