Editing Bartow, Florida (section)

===Municipal government===
[[File:Bartow city hall01.jpg|thumb|right|alt=a fairly large one story brick building with a flagpole and a sign saying 'Bartow City Hall' in front|Bartow City Hall]]
The City of Bartow has a [[Council-manager|commission-manager]] form of government. The city commission consists of five commissioners, each elected for a three-year term.<ref name="Bartow City Government">{{cite web
| url = http://www.bartowchamber.com/government.htm
| title = Bartow City Government
| access-date = 2010-10-19
| publisher = Bartow Chamber of Commerce
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110622091328/http://www.bartowchamber.com/government.htm
| archive-date = June 22, 2011
}}</ref> The mayor is a member of the city commission elected annually by the commissioners, although traditionally the position is rotated.<ref name="Bartow City Government"/> As of 2022, the mayor of Bartow is Steve Githens Other commissioners are Nick Adams, Leo Longworth, Tanya Tucker and Trish Pfeiffer".<ref name="Bartow, Florida mayor">{{cite web
| url = http://www.cityofbartow.net/index.aspx?page=62| title = City Officials - Mayor and Commissioners
| access-date = May 10, 2021
| publisher = City of Bartow
| date = 2021
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mayor and City Commission|url=http://www.cityofbartow.net/index.aspx?page=62|work=City of Bartow, FL|publisher=City of Bartow, FL|access-date=November 2, 2013|date=November 2013}}</ref> The city executive powers rest with the city manager, as contracted by the city commission. In 2010, the city's budget was $74.2 million.<ref name="Guide to Polk, Bartow">{{cite news
| url = http://www.ledgerdata.com/guide_to_polk/city/bartow/
| title = Guide to Polk, Bartow
| access-date = 2010-10-07
| newspaper = The Ledger
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110713195133/http://www.ledgerdata.com/guide_to_polk/city/bartow/
| archive-date = July 13, 2011
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

Electricity, waste disposal and water are municipal services provided by the city of Bartow to residents in city limits and nearby areas. Bartow is part of the [[Southwest Florida Water Management District]] and in times of drought, the city strictly enforces the restrictions set forth by the district.<ref name="Florida Water Management Districts">{{cite web
| url = http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/watman
| title = Florida Water Management Districts
| access-date = 2010-09-12
| publisher = State of Florida
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100920064245/http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/watman| archive-date= September 20, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> Although it is a private entity outside of the city limits of Bartow, the [[Bartow Municipal Airport|Bartow Executive Airport]] is governed and administrated by the city commission which convenes as the Bartow Airport Authority. As of 2016, the Bartow Police Department has five sergeants, twenty officers, three K-9 officers, two school resource officers, two public safety aides, and one parking enforcement specialist, while the Bartow Fire Department has 18 full-time firemen.<ref name="Bartow PD">{{cite web
 |url=http://bartow.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={859E9F20-D3D0-4F32-8310-CBC75E4C1DE4}
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107011008/http://bartow.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B859E9F20-D3D0-4F32-8310-CBC75E4C1DE4%7D
 |archive-date=November 7, 2006
 |title=Bartow Police Department
 |access-date=2010-09-26
 |publisher=City of Bartow
 |url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref name="Bartow FD">{{cite web
 |url=http://bartow.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={0DCE6F66-2AE7-42F7-A320-8A32EB073D0B}
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103194903/http://bartow.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B0DCE6F66-2AE7-42F7-A320-8A32EB073D0B%7D
 |archive-date=November 3, 2007
 |title=Bartow Fire Department
 |access-date=2016-07-16
 |publisher=City of Bartow
 |url-status=dead
}}</ref> The city of Bartow also operates the Bartow Public library, which was founded in 1897 and has reciprocal borrowing agreements with other public libraries in Polk County.<ref name="Bartow Library">{{cite web
 |url=http://bartow.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={D9A9AF7B-FFD2-4991-9857-C8BE924F5003}
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716172500/http://bartow.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BD9A9AF7B-FFD2-4991-9857-C8BE924F5003%7D
 |archive-date=July 16, 2007
 |title=Bartow Library
 |access-date=2010-09-26
 |publisher=City of Bartow
 |url-status=dead
}}</ref>