Mayor Jerry L. Demings Touts Efficiency During 2025 State of the County Address
Marking his 44th year as a public servant, Mayor Jerry L. Demings delivered his 2025 State of the County address at the Linda Chapin Theatre inside the Orange County Convention Center on June 6, detailing mid-year triumphs and key priorities to an audience of community leaders, business partners and citizens.
“We’ve celebrated a year of remarkable achievements, record-breaking numbers in tourism, and strong economic growth,” Demings said. “It has also been a year filled with opportunities, challenges, and a renewed focus on efficiency in government.”
During his 7th State of the County address, Demings said smart governance is more critical than ever with shrinking budgets and strained resources. He praised his team for seeking efficiencies to ensure every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely.
As one of the fastest growing regions in the nation, Orange County is working hard to find the right balance between smart spending and investing in quality programs and services that help the community thrive.
The Mayor emphasized his unwavering dedication to public safety, affordable housing and improved transit. He spoke about the investment in miles of new roadways, sidewalks, and roadway lighting to create a safer and more accessible community. The 61 miles of new SunRail line, plus a $55 million investment in LYNX transportation offer riders more routes, smoother commutes and less road congestion.
Demings also addressed the growing need for more affordable housing, a personal passion and top priority of his administration. He highlighted the implementation of one of the first local Housing Trust Funds in Florida. This initiative helps support the creation and protection of affordable housing, not just for today, but for generations to come. Additionally, he eagerly spoke about the newly launched Financial Empowerment Center, which offers free financial counseling to any Orange County resident or employee.
Additional highlights by the numbers:
- $1B dedicated to public safety initiatives
- $100M toward accessible transportation
- $56M for homeless services
- $160M toward affordable housing
- $93B economic boost from tourism/hospitality— plus creates new jobs
- $90M to programs/services for children and families
- 100% of Orange County’s reclaimed water is reused
- $472M erased consumer medical debt
- 4M daily cyber intrusion attempts prevented through AI
Mayor Demings also reminded attendees that Orange County has the lowest tax rate in Florida among counties with more than one million residents. "That is why careful decisions are made to ensure that we have a balanced budget," he said. "We have a steady process in place to counteract the volatility and instability in the economy, even with the geopolitical headwinds."
You can watch the full Discurso sobre el Estado del Condado for a deeper dive into how the county is Building Better Through Efficiency in all areas of the organization.