During his State of the City Address, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer celebrated 150 years of progress fueled by a legacy of reinvention. The address highlighted how Orlando’s past continues to fuel its transformation into a model city, turning challenges into opportunities in areas such as housing choices, sustainable growth, fiscal responsibility, and future mobility.
Mayor Dyer noted that Orlando generated $360 million in property taxes and invested $406 million in police and fire services. In fiscal year 2026, property tax collections increased by $21 million, while the city’s police and fire investment grew by $25 million. Through cutting-edge technology, specialized training, and community partnerships, Orlando has driven crime to historic lows, making it one of the safest cities in Florida. Violent crime is down 14%, residential burglaries have decreased by nearly 30%, and homicides are down by more than 50%, with 100% of this year’s homicide cases solved.
His remarks also focused on strategic investments made in the Orlando region’s most complex challenges, including infrastructure and housing supply. From 2020 to 2024, Orlando’s population increased by 14% while the housing supply grew only 11%, leaving a shortage of nearly 9,400 units. To accommodate this growth, Mayor Dyer introduced Orlando Unlocked, the city’s initiative to tackle the housing shortage while providing quality housing options for residents through a robust development pipeline. Since 2014, the city has committed more than $75 million to create or preserve affordable homes. This investment has funded the construction or rehabilitation of more than 3,000 affordable rental units, supported repairs for 330 single-family homeowners, and provided down payment or construction assistance for more than 275 new homeowners.
Mayor Dyer closed his remarks by announcing a major milestone in Orlando’s commitment to building a truly sustainable and resilient city, sharing that the city will reach its 100% clean energy goal for municipal operations by 2027, three years ahead of schedule. This achievement builds on several innovative initiatives already underway. Orlando’s recycling program removes reusable materials from the waste stream, extending the life of landfills and preserving land for better community uses. Energy efficiency upgrades across 60 city buildings now save $2.5 million annually, a savings that has funded the upgrades themselves and more than half the cost of the new Orlando Police Headquarters. The city also has expanded its electric vehicle fleet, reducing fuel costs by more than $60,000 each year.
Watch the Mayor’s full remarks here.
At a time when our rights, freedoms, and futures are under threat, Democratic Mayors are showing the nation what real leadership looks like.
