ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 In his State of the City address, Mayor Buddy Dyer discussed city investments and efforts aimed at improving Orlando and the 3,500 public servants who do the work.<\/p>\n
He introduced individual public servants with the Orlando Police Department, the Orlando Fire Department, the public works team, wastewater system innovators and parks and recreation workers as a way to emphasize how residential property tax dollars help support essential services that keep the city safe, connected and moving forward.<\/p>\n
Dyer said those property taxes cost residents fewer than $7 a day for 24-hour police and fire protection, emergency medical response, construction and maintenance of more than 900 miles of roads, 1,200 miles of sidewalks, more than 500 traffic signals, access to more than 120 parks, 60 sports fields, 55 playgrounds and 19 neighborhood centers.<\/p>\n
He said if Florida voters approve Amendment 3, Orlando would experience a significant loss in revenue in upcoming years \u2014 the potential of $30 million in 2028, $50 million in 2029 and $80 million every year after that if homestead exemption is entirely eliminated. The constitutional amendment approved by the Florida Legislature and proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would cut residential property taxes through increases in homestead exemptions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He urged voters to learn about what those tax dollars fund before casting their ballots on Amendment 3 in November.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf funding is reduced, cities will face difficult choices about the services that residents expect every day,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n
They could include slower emergency response times, fewer hours for parks and recreation centers, and reductions in repaving roads and camps for children. The city might also be forced to reduce its construction of affordable housing and raise fees on services and taxes for non-residential properties, he said.<\/p>\n
The taxes also help pay for the local government employees who work for residents, Dyer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than federal and state employees, these are public service professionals who have the greatest impact on your life every single day. In good times and during difficult times, they serve with great dedication,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are the unsung heroes who keep Orlando moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dyer detailed some of those services provided through tax dollars.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s top priority is always public safety and it has added technology that has helped improve those services, Dyer said. He cited the Orlando Police Department\u2019s Crime Center, which provides real-time information and data to try to stop crime before it happens and to speed up investigations when it does. He said the city\u2019s drone program also gets eyes on dangerous situations before officers can get there.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are producing meaningful, measurable results,\u201d Dyer said.<\/p>\n
The tools and public service officers have helped reduce crime citywide in Orlando by 19%, Dyer said. That included Orlando having the largest decrease in homicides in the country, he said. The 10 homicides were the fewest that Orlando has had in 50 years, Dyer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dyer said the city has continued infrastructure work to get the number of traffic and pedestrian fatalities down toward zero, adding a new high visibility crosswalk on Mills Avenue and Canton Street to others already built and more separated bike lanes to create safer environments for cyclists. The infrastructure improvements since 2020 have resulted in a 40% drop in deadly and serious injury crashes, Dyer said, equaling 60 lives saved.<\/p>\n
The infrastructure improvements have moved the region from being one of the most dangerous places to walk to being recognized as having one of the most significant drops in pedestrian deaths across the country, Dyer said.<\/p>\n
He also discussed programs offered by the city to help entrepreneurs start new businesses and offer apprenticeship programs to train potential workers who will become public servants in the future. City staff also renovated six parks, added a dog park, maintained more than 100 parks, and offered free swimming pool access and after-school and senior programs.<\/p>\n
Dyer concluded by saying of the city\u2019s employees, \u201cI want you to know that I am proud to serve beside you, and I\u2019m proud to be Orlando\u2019s mayor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Residents, business leaders, and community members attended the speech at The Plaza Live.<\/a><\/p>\n It came as the city continues to work on several projects. The Canopy, a planned 10-acre space under I-4, received final approval this week<\/a> to move forward with construction this week. The city has allocated $30 million for it.<\/p>\n