Orange County mayor emphasizes building through efficiency

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings stood before dozens of people Friday, June 6, at the Orange County Convention Center speaking with conviction on the progress the county has made over the past year during his State of the County address. 

Demings emphasized the importance of the county working together efficiently to succeed and help the county’s more than 1.5 million residents. 

“We’ve celebrated a year of remarkable achievements, record-breaking numbers in tourism and strong economic growth,” he said. “It has also been a year filled with opportunities, challenges and a renewed focus on efficiency in government.”

Orange County has the lowest tax rate in Florida for counties with more than one million residents and the 11th lowest county tax rate out of Florida’s 67 counties.

He said the county makes “careful decisions” to ensure it has a balanced budget. 

“This year, budgets are tighter, and resources are stretched even as growth continues and expectations from our community are high,” Demings said. “This is a pivotal moment in our nation when the need for smart governance has never been greater.”

Demings said Orange County is the first local government in Florida to launch a Financial Empowerment Center, which offers free financial counseling to anyone living or working in the county. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, the county opened six Financial Empowerment Centers and conducted more than 380 financial counseling sessions. 

The county also has been committed to addressing the need for affordable housing. Although Demings said more public-private partnerships are needed to progress on making affordable housing available, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved $32 million last year for the construction of seven affordable housing developments. In 2025, the county has opened and broken ground on more than 900 affordable and workforce housing units. 

“Homelessness is one of the most pressing issues facing communities across the nation, and Orange County is not alone,” Demings said. “Our goal is to work closely with our regional partners to reduce the number of individuals experiencing homelessness and provide support to those most at risk.”

After the Point in Time Count on homelessness, which is conducted each year in January, Demings said there had been a “slight decrease” in the homeless population within the county. 

The county has made progress on the transportation front, providing financial support that has allowed the LYNX transportation system to increase the frequency of buses and reduce wait times. Brightline connected 2.6 million passengers from Orlando to South Florida in its first year, taking 1.9 million cars off the road. The Board of County Commissioners in 2024 allocated $100 million over five years to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and to enhance transit. 

Demings said business development has been a large contributing factor to the county’s economic growth and prosperity. He highlighted the theme parks including Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea Word for their multi-billion-dollar investments. 

He mentioned how the county worked closely with Universal Orlando to make the theme park’s newest addition, Epic Universe, a reality. He said Orange County issued 1,500 permits and conducted nearly 34,000 inspections at Epic Universe. 

“By having staff nearby, Orange County saved 300 workdays for these onsite inspections, reviews and customer service,” Demings said. 

Demings also boasted accomplishments in the sports realm with Orlando Pride being the champions of the National Women’s Soccer League for the 2024 season;  the Orlando Magic competing in the Eastern Conference playoffs; and Orlando Pride having several team members representing the U.S., Brazil and Zambia in the 2024 Olympics. 

In public safety, Demings shared Orange County Fire Rescue Department now has a $52 million state-of-the-art training facility, which opened Wednesday, June 18, on 38 acres that will include a burn building where firefighters can train in live fire environments.