Re-Elect Heather Lindsay · 2026
Eight years of steady, dedicated service. A proven leader who listens, follows through, and puts Milton first.
A Campaign About Milton
Milton is growing fast — and the next four years will decide what kind of city it becomes. Infrastructure, growth, public safety, the Blackwater River, Hwy 90, flood resilience, our historic downtown: the decisions are being made right now.
Milton can grow into its future without losing what makes it home.
Experience Matters
A Plan for Milton’s Tomorrow
Continuing to move forward on wastewater, water, drainage, flood resilience and transportation.
Growth that strengthens Milton — not growth that changes what makes it special.
Supporting police, firefighters, first responders and emergency preparedness.
Protecting Blackwater River, historic downtown, parks and neighborhoods.
Keeping residents, businesses, community organizations and government working together.
Service, Not Status
“Heather envisions a Milton that is safe and welcoming — a city where the whole community lives and builds together, and where private interests never stand above the interests of its citizens.”
Our Home · Our Future
Working Today for Milton’s Tomorrow.
Get Involved
Meet Heather
Heather Lindsay is a lifelong Miltonian whose commitment to public service is rooted in the community she calls home.
Milton is where Heather grew up, where her family has deep roots, and where she returned to raise her own children. Her church, neighbors, longtime friends, local businesses and the people she has met through decades of living and working here remain at the center of her life.
Heather graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama and earned her law degree, also cum laude, from Florida State University College of Law. Early in her career, she clerked for Justice Janie L. Shores, the first woman to serve on the Alabama Supreme Court, before building a successful employment law practice in Birmingham.
She returned to Northwest Florida to raise her family and practice law alongside her father, Allen W. Lindsay, Jr., continuing a family legal tradition in Milton that spans generations.
Heather’s legal career increasingly brought her into public service, eventually leading her to serve as City Attorney for the City of Milton.
In 2018, she stepped down from that position and asked the people of her hometown for the opportunity to serve them in a different way. That November, Milton elected Heather as the first woman to serve as the city’s elected Mayor. Voters entrusted her with a second term in 2022.
Heather believes local government works best when it stays close to the people it serves. Being Mayor means listening to a neighbor with a concern, supporting the people who keep Milton safe, working with a small business owner, hearing from residents affected by development, and making sure Milton’s voice is heard outside our city limits.
It also means recognizing that no Mayor gets things done alone.
Heather’s approach has been to bring together residents, City staff, Council members, first responders, businesses and partners at every level of government to find practical solutions and move Milton forward.
Her fellow mayors elected her to the Board of Directors of the Florida League of Mayors, and regional leaders selected her to serve on the Board of Directors of the Northwest Florida League of Cities. She has also been recognized as a Home Rule Hero for defending the ability of local communities to make local decisions.
Those relationships have helped give Milton a stronger voice with county, regional and state leaders. Heather has advocated for state appropriations, worked with county officials on shared challenges, and helped build partnerships around transportation, economic development and the health of the Blackwater River watershed.
But for Heather, public service remains personal.
It is about the people she sees at church, the friends she has known for years, the neighbors who stop to talk, the business owners investing in Milton and the citizens who care enough about their community to speak up — whether they agree with her or not.
Because for Heather, Milton isn’t just the city she serves.
It’s home.
A Plan for Milton’s Tomorrow
Build the infrastructure a growing Milton needs — from wastewater and drainage to Highway 90 and the Blackwater River crossing.
The Challenge
Milton is growing faster than some of its critical infrastructure. The City’s wastewater plant dates to a 1984 upgrade and is nearing capacity, while more than 6,000 septic tanks in East Milton affect local waterways and oyster beds. Florida law also requires the City to stop discharging treated effluent into the Blackwater River by 2032.
At the same time, growth is putting greater pressure on Milton’s roads and regional connections. The future of Highway 90 and the Blackwater River crossing will be critical to improving capacity, safety and connectivity for the years ahead.
Progress
Heather has advocated at the federal, state and county levels for Milton’s wastewater project since 2018. In January 2026, FDEP issued permits for the new treatment plant and sprayfields, with the project backed by $8 million in RESTORE Act funding and $16.9 million in state resiliency funding.
On transportation, Heather has worked through the TPO and with FDOT and regional leaders to keep Milton’s needs part of the conversation surrounding Highway 90 and an expanded Blackwater River bridge.
What’s Next
Build the infrastructure Milton’s future requires. Keep the new wastewater system moving toward construction, pursue additional state and federal funding, strengthen drainage and flood resilience, and continue working with FDOT, the TPO and regional partners to advance Highway 90 and an expanded Blackwater River bridge.
Welcome opportunity while protecting the neighborhoods and quality of life that make Milton home.
The Challenge
Milton’s population has grown nearly 14% since 2020, in one of Florida’s fastest-growing counties. Close to 200 new housing units were built between 2023 and 2025, with roughly 200 more proposed this year.
Growth brings new families, businesses and opportunity — but it also puts pressure on housing, roads, public services and established neighborhoods. The challenge is making sure development strengthens Milton rather than simply making it bigger.
Progress
Heather has supported the Milton Market and local small businesses, continued improvements to residential streets under the City’s 2015 paving plan, expanded Community Center operations and supported improvements along Stewart Street, including Grover’s.
She has also supported citizen-led solutions to land-use conflicts, including development agreements shaped by residents in response to new development along Dogwood Drive.
What’s Next
Plan for growth before it arrives. Work with residents, businesses, developers and regional partners to address attainable housing, guide responsible development, support local economic opportunity and protect the character and quality of life of Milton’s established neighborhoods.
Make sure public safety keeps pace with Milton’s growth.
The Challenge
As Milton grows, the demands placed on Police, Fire and Emergency Management grow with it. Police staffing has remained relatively steady even as the city’s population and housing stock have increased.
Police Chief Jennifer Frank has identified around-the-clock staffing with at least two officers on duty as an important goal as Milton continues to grow.
Progress
Heather was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police during her first campaign for Mayor in 2018 for her strong support of public safety.
Throughout her time as Mayor, she has continued to support Milton Police, Fire and Emergency Management and advocate for the people and resources needed to keep the community safe.
What’s Next
Keep public safety ahead of growth. Continue working with Police and Fire leadership to strengthen staffing and readiness, pursue the resources needed for reliable around-the-clock coverage, and make sure Milton’s first responders have the support they need as the community grows.
Protect the river, downtown, public spaces and community life that give Milton its identity.
The Challenge
Growth and major infrastructure projects will reshape parts of Milton in the years ahead. The challenge is not to keep the city frozen in time, but to make sure progress strengthens the places and quality of life that make Milton worth calling home.
That means caring for the Blackwater River, restoring vibrancy in our downtown, investing in public spaces and ensuring that Milton’s natural and community assets remain part of the city’s future.
Progress
Bands on the Blackwater has continued to grow, while Milton supports festivals and community events throughout the year that bring residents together and strengthen downtown life.
Heather has also helped connect City leadership with the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program on efforts involving the Blackwater River, including water quality and the restoration of oyster fisheries.
A partner is now in place to move forward the Marina vision Heather shared during her first campaign for Mayor in 2018.
What’s Next
Invest in the places that make Milton home. Pursue funding opportunities to expand the Riverwalk, continue working with regional partners to improve the health of the Blackwater River and its watershed, move the Marina vision forward, and keep strengthening downtown, parks and public spaces as Milton grows.
Give Milton a stronger voice by building relationships at home and beyond City Hall.
The Challenge
A growing city brings more voices, more competing priorities and more decisions that affect residents differently.
Local government works best when residents can be heard, City leadership can work together and Milton has strong relationships with county, regional and state partners. Maintaining those relationships takes deliberate and continuous work.
Progress
Heather was elected by fellow mayors to the Board of Directors of the Florida League of Mayors and recruited to serve on the Board of the Northwest Florida League of Cities. She has also been recognized as a Home Rule Hero for her advocacy on behalf of local government.
At home, she has worked to improve the management of City Council meetings and collaborated with Santa Rosa County officials on issues including the former courthouse property.
Beyond Milton, she has advocated for the City’s priorities and helped secure Governor-approved state appropriations during a difficult budget year.
What’s Next
Give Milton a stronger voice at every table. Keep building relationships with residents, businesses and community organizations while strengthening partnerships across Santa Rosa County, Northwest Florida and Tallahassee — bringing more attention, resources and opportunities back home to Milton.
Challenge figures drawn from City of Milton communications, Milton Police Department, the Florida-Alabama TPO and local reporting (WKRG, South Santa Rosa News, Pensacola News Journal).
Get Involved
In 2026, Milton needs you.
Milton doesn’t move forward because of one person — it moves forward because neighbors show up for each other. Whether it’s a yard sign on your street, an hour spent talking with fellow residents, or simply spreading the word, every bit of help carries this campaign forward.
If you want to help Heather Lindsay — to volunteer, host a sign, help out at an event, or just say hello — write us directly. A real person on Heather’s team will get back to you.
