Mayor's speech

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Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s State of the City Address 2018
August 7th 2018
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
***Media Copy / Please Check Against Delivery***
60 Reasons We Love Orlando And Are Excited About Our Future
Thank you, Susan, you’re truly an inspiration.
Thank you, Trey, for those wonderful words.
And thank you, everyone, for the birthday wishes.
The greatest blessing in my life is being a dad to my two sons.
Not far behind has been the opportunity to serve our residents as mayor.
Today, I’m fortunate to celebrate turning 60 with my son and all of you on a day that’s truly
special to me.
The day each year that we examine the state of our City, celebrate our shared achievements and
look ahead to the future.
60 is one of those milestone birthdays.
A time to reflect on where you’ve been and what lies ahead.
And, as I do that, I’ve got a little bit of a confession to make.
Being mayor of Orlando wasn’t part of my plan.
It kind of happened by chance.
Back in 2003, I’d come off ten years in the Florida Senate and a loss in the toughest political race
in my career.
I’d planned to be Florida’s Attorney General.
But, it wasn’t to be.
However, losing that race ended up being one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.
It gave me the opportunity to run for Mayor.
I’d represented most of Orlando as a member of the Senate.
At the time, I’d actually never set foot in our City Hall.
But, I loved our community and believed that new partnerships across ideological, political and
jurisdictional lines could be what we needed to take us into the future.

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Encouraged by incredible community partners I took a chance.
We pledged to work together to make Orlando the best place anywhere to live, work and raise a
family.
16 years later, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
16 years later, I wake up every single day excited about our City and excited about working
toward a better future with each and every one of you!
16 years later, being mayor of Orlando is the best job in the world.
Here’s the thing.
My story mirrors the stories of so many of our residents.
Maybe Orlando wasn’t part of your plan.
But, once you joined our community once you discovered our diverse and vibrant City… you
couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
Because you found your place and your purpose here in Orlando.
You found a community that challenges each of us to do our part to build a better tomorrow!
So, if you’ll indulge me a birthday wish… it’s that we spend our time together today celebrating
our City.
Our theme is simple and heartfelt, 60 reasons we love Orlando and are excited about our future!
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For most of us, the connection with our City begins with where we live.
Our neighborhoods.
We’re so fortunate to have strong, diverse neighborhoods with great parks and green spaces.
They’re the foundation of our quality of life.
Where are our neighborhood leaders?
We love our neighborhood leaders!
Thank you for what you do every day to help our neighborhoods thrive!
We’re in the middle of a major effort to make our great neighborhoods even better.
This includes our Mayors Matching Grants and a lot of individual projects that add up to one big
love letter to our neighborhoods.
This work might seem “small” when compared to some of the announcements that attracts
headlines.

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But, our neighborhood leaders will tell you that a new ball-park, playground or even a sidewalk
is a big deal.
So, we’re excited to start our list with them.
(-- 1 --) First up, there’s our partnership with Florida Citrus Sports to renovate Lake Lorna
Doone park and add a new playground, sport courts, fitness stations and a walking path.
(-- 2 --) Rosemont’s neighborhood center serves more than 400 residents a day, and soon they’ll
have a new gym.
(-- 3 --) We’re preserving the historic Grand Avenue Elementary School by turning it into a
recreation center that will include a new home for the Orlando Pottery Studio.
(-- 4 --) By the end of this year, we’ll open two new parks in Commissioner Gray’s district, the
fastest growing area of our City. McCoy Park and Heroes Community Park will add 50 acres of
ball-fields, playgrounds and trails.
(-- 5 --) Orange Robinson Park will be a new kind of “pop-up park” and public plaza for
Downtown… and planning is well underway for the Under-I, a unique urban community park
underneath I-4.
(-- 6 --) At the Dover Shores Neighborhood Center, we’re expanding our youth and senior
programming with relocated tennis courts and a new shade structure.
(-- 7 --) My dog Sammie can attest that Orlando is a pet-friendly city. Constitution Green dog
park is so popular that we’re adding a dog-wash and lights for extended park hours.
(-- 8 --) Through a partnership with Dr. Phillips Charities, we’re going to build a state-of-the-art
home for the Orlando Tennis Centre in the heart of the new Packing District near Princeton and
John Young Parkway. This live, work, play district will also have trails and green space.
(-- 9 --) And.. when we talk about recreation, some of our most passionate residents are our
cyclists, walkers and runners. This includes Commissioner Sheehan. It’s a big year ahead as we
continue to build the Orlando Bicycle Beltway, an 8-mile loop from Downtown to Fashion
Square that also connects with our Orlando Urban Trail and our new iconic pedestrian bridge
over Colonial Drive. All of these projects add up to an 80-million-dollar investment in
neighborhood infrastructure.
---
Our neighborhoods are also powerful economic drivers.
And, they help create our unique culture.
Think about your favorite local restaurant or coffee house?
Or, the places where we shop where the owner knows our name.
These local businesses, small businesses, are the life blood of our City.

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(-- 10 --) Ten years ago, we launched the Main Street program to cultivate these businesses. In
that time, we’ve helped a thousand new businesses open, generating a billion dollars of
investment and creating more than six-thousand full and part time jobs.
(-- 11 --) Our Main Street and small business owners have fostered a growing food scene that
reflects Orlando’s fusion of cultures. And, the word is getting out. This year the New York
Times, USA Today and other publications all declared that thrills can be found not only in our
famous theme parks, but at restaurants throughout our City. The East End Market, Mamak, Pig
Floyd’s, Taino’s Bakery and Nikki’s Place are some of my favorite places to visit.
(-- 12 --) And, don’t get me started on our breweries. Following the change in our City zoning,
we added to our original and only brewery, Orlando Brewing, and now have eight breweries in
our city and two more opening this summer.
(-- 13 --) We want more entrepreneurs to have the chance to realize their dreams. Later this
month, we’ll issue the first round of grants for a new program to help grow our technology and
start-up economy. Our goal is to have more tech companies start here, stay here and thrive here,
like Power DMS, Uni-Key and Fatt Merchant.
That’s also why we launched our Permitting Express program to make it easier and faster for
small businesses to open and grow. In less than a year we’ve helped nearly 300 local businesses
do just that. In fact, Commissioner Stuart and I just cut the ribbon on Oxford Eyes in Ivanhoe
Village, a small business that went from application to permit in less than three days!
---
If you’re counting, that’s 13 reasons.
Let’s keep going.
Orlando is consistently recognized as one of the best places in America to start or own a business
and we want to expand that pro-business environment even more.
That includes everyone, from our youngest entrepreneurs like the Parramore Kidz Zone students
who run Black Bee Honey, to our most established companies like Orlando Health that turns 100
this year…
Where, by the way, I was born 60 years ago today!
(-- 14 --) The Orlando Economic Partnership has undertaken an initiative to raise the profile of
Orlando’s business community and show site selectors and CEOs from around the country “the
other half of it.” Thanks to their work, 55 percent of corporate decision makers now say they
intend to consider Orlando as part of their next move or expansion.
(-- 15 --) Commissioner Ings’ district is home to our City’s largest employer, Universal Orlando
Resort. Universal’s growth has created three-thousand new jobs in our community, just this
summer. Later this month, they will open a new 600 room hotel: Aventura. And, Universal is

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growing film and television jobs by shooting two new TV shows using local talent: Deal or No
Deal on NBC and David Makes Man on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
(-- 16 --) KPMG’s Lake Nona Learning and Innovation facility is under construction and will
bring more than 800 people a week into our community for training when it’s complete.
(-- 17 --) Speaking of innovation, more than ever before, a business-friendly City must be an
innovation-friendly City. Think about it – in the last century, cities that embraced the interstate
highway system, developed world-class rail hubs, seaports and airports created a distinct
economic advantage for themselves. We’re facing that same scenario in a modern context.
Cities that embrace self-driving cars, advanced wireless connectivity, energy and infrastructure
advances and so many other forward-looking innovations will set themselves apart. Cities that
don’t will be left behind. That’s why we’re developing a Smart City road-map to ensure that
Orlando is a place where these types of innovations are tested and deployed and where our
residents and businesses can benefit from early exposure and adoption.
---
When we talk about our future, and our future workforce, the conversation is different now than
at any time in our history.
That’s because it’s so focused on the importance of education, which generates opportunity.
Education is changing our City for the better forever.
(-- 18 --) Our community had a dream about creating a pipeline our kids to go from the cradle to
college no matter what their economic circumstances.
As a City, we deliberately shifted the focus of our youth programming from athletics to
academics, with the goal of expanding opportunity for our most vulnerable young people. And,
the results are nothing short of amazing. Over the last three years, 200 graduates of our youth
programming have started college!
(-- 19 --) We also had a dream of a Downtown college campus that would help create the next
generation of careers for the kids growing up in Parramore and throughout our City. That dream
is becoming a reality right now at the Creative Village, home to the new UCF / Valencia
Downtown Campus. In 383 days to be exact, we’ll welcome more than eight-thousand faculty
and students to Downtown.
(-- 20 --) None of this would be possible without the partnership of UCF. We are so grateful for
the contribution Dr. Hitt has made to our community. We’re also excited to begin a new era of
partnership with UCF through the vision and leadership of its new President Dale Whitaker, who
is here with us today!
(-- 21 --) Equally important is our partnership with Dr. Shugart and Valencia College, who will
bring the Walt Disney School for Culinary Arts and Hospitality to Downtown. Valencia is also

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responding to the region’s demand for more sustainable jobs by pioneering Central Florida’s first
“energy management degree program.” A true “Green Degree.”
---
(-- 22 --) Speaking of green, we’re growing our reputation as the greenest City in the southeast.
We effectively run City Hall, all 17 of our fire stations and our police headquarters on solar
power. How about that!
Now, with the opening of OUC’s new solar farm, more of our residents can power their homes
with solar, too. And, we’re working with more than 750 of our largest building owners to reduce
the energy output of those buildings. We have a new partnership with Siemens that will allow us
to analyze our data and leverage energy, transportation and building technology to help us plan
for growth, reduce our carbon footprint and create jobs. And, the Amway Center has joined our
food waste recycling program. With their help we’re on track to turn two-and-a-half million
pounds of food-waste into energy.
---
Okay, we’re up to 22 reasons.
What else excites us about the future?
How about one of my favorites, sports, and everything that sports means for our community and
our economy.
(-- 23 --) With the new home for Orlando City and the Orlando Pride, international matches at
Camping World Stadium and being in the running for 2026 World Cup games, Orlando has
quickly become the soccer capitol of the south
(-- 24 --) UCF will defend its National Championship this fall, Charge On!
(-- 25 --) We’ve got a new professional football team with a coach you might have heard of,
Steve Spurrier, go Gators!
(-- 26 --) We’ve got the Florida Classic and one of the premier college bowl schedules.
And, I’m really excited about the Magic’s young talent and our Solar Bears who are coming off a
playoff season.
(-- 27 --) In partnership with the Central Florida Sports Commission, we’ll host the Special
Olympics USA Summer Games in 2022.
(-- 28 --) And, we’re the new home of American Tennis with Lake Nona’s USTA National
Headquarters, which hosts hundreds of events every year.
(-- 29 --) We’re also home to so many renowned golf courses, including the City’s course
Dubsdread, and the Golf Channel.
(-- 30 --) The NFL Pro Bowl is back for a third year.

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(-- 31 --) We’re the new home of the Dan Patrick School of Sports-Casting at Full Sail
University. And one you may not even know, we’re home to the WWE Performance Center.
The power of athletics isn’t just providing our residents with world-class sports and
entertainment options, it’s generating millions of dollars for our economy and creating thousands
of jobs.
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What else do we love about Orlando?
How about the love we show one another?
Our commitment to equality, to making Orlando a place where everyone is treated equally and
everyone is welcome.
(-- 32 --) It’s reflected in our new Mayor’s Committee on Multicultural Affairs.
(-- 33 --) It’s reflected in our adoption of the Trust Act with the leadership of Commissioner
Ortiz. The Act will help build stronger bonds between police and our residents and reassure
undocumented immigrants that reporting crimes won’t lead to deportation.
(-- 34 --) And, it’s reflected in the first multi-stall, all-user restroom in a government building in
Florida, soon to open at Orlando City hall, that will increase accessibility for transgender people
and those with disabilities.
(-- 35 --) More than anything, our commitment is reflected in the way we treat one another -
• The way our City continues to show support to OPD Officer Kevin Valencia after he was
seriously wounded in the line of duty.
• The incredible work by the OnePulse Foundation and the Orlando United Assistance
Center who continue to support the survivors and families of victims of the Pulse
tragedy.
• The new One Orlando Alliance that’s working to unify and empower our LGBTQ+
organizations.
• The work the Holocaust Center does to eliminate bullying in our schools. We’re looking
forward to welcoming their new world-class Museum For Hope and Humanity to
Downtown.
• The way our community rises to challenges that strike unexpectedly like Hurricane Irma
and Maria. Our City staff and OUC worked tirelessly to clear roads and restore power.
And, our Hispanic Office of Local Assistance continues to help evacuees rebuild their
lives.
• How about the contribution from women leaders in our community. Orlando Magazine
recognized female leadership as the most powerful force in Orlando this year. Wanna
hear a cool fact? Women make up two-thirds of the leadership of the Mayor’s office.
• Of course, our “Ambassador of Love” herself, Donna Dowless!

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What else should we celebrate today?
How about our growing arts and culture scene and our philanthropic leaders!
(-- 36 --) Harriet Lake embodied both. In loving memory of her, we’re excited to work with the
Orlando Ballet to build a new, world-class campus at Loch Haven Cultural Park. “Harriett’s
Orlando Ballet Centre” will offer new ways for our community to be entertained and educated
through dance.
(-- 37 --) With the leadership of Michael Mennello, we’re expanding the Mennello Museum of
American Art to include more space for classes and to ensure our residents have access to more
world-class traveling exhibitions. Thank you, Michael.
(-- 38 --) Through a legacy gift from Ford Kiene, we’re making the Rogers-Kiene Building, one
of the most historic Victorian style structures in Central Florida, into a permanent cultural
facility and home for the Downtown Arts District. Thank you, Ford.
(-- 39 --) From United Arts, to the Orlando Science Center, to Leu Gardens, to all the venues in
Loch Haven Cultural Park, next year we’ll dedicate nearly four million dollars to arts and
cultural organizations.
(-- 40 --) Well, we’re at 39 reasons right now. We need a really good one for number 40. What
about this very building, our Dr. Phillips Center! Seeing the construction of the Steinmetz Hall
and Phase 2 is the realization of a shared dream our community has had for decades. That’s a
credit to everyone in this room and everyone who closed their eyes and dreamed nearly 20 years
ago that Orlando could become a true arts and culture destination!
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It really is wonderful to see the love and excitement we have for Orlando.
But, loving our City isn’t just about the fun stuff.
It’s about working together to solve problems.
That’s what we do best.
(-- 41 --) Homelessness has been a challenge for our region for decades. We’ve made
meaningful progress with our regional partners in Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties.
Through our “Housing First” approach to help place 339 chronically homeless individuals and
veterans into permanent, supportive housing. And, today 96 percent remain housed.
(-- 42 --) We’ve been recognized by the VA for achieving “functional zero” on chronically
homeless veterans. But, there’s so much more work we must do. And, our governments simply
can’t do it alone. The positive changes we’ve seen are a direct result of the private investment
from the business community, including six-million dollars from Florida Hospital.

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That’s why, with the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness, we’re calling on other
businesses and faith leaders to join the effort. That’s why we brought back our Downtown
Ambassador program with an added mission of connecting homeless individuals with services
and a system of care. And, that’s why we’re partnering with Goodwill to create a pathway for the
homeless to return to the workforce.
(-- 43 --) Number 43 on our list, is making sure everyone who wants to live in Orlando has
access to safe, affordable housing. This issue is important, so we’ve added two City positions to
focus exclusively on developing new policies and partnerships to help spur investment to create
more housing options or bring rehabilitated housing on-line.
We’re also dedicating one million dollars in this year’s budget for affordable housing initiatives.
We partnered with the Central Florida Foundation to establish a land trust in Commissioner
Hill’s district that will help boost the amount of housing west side residents can buy or rent, and
make sure they’re not priced out of their neighborhoods.
This work is on top of our 15-million-dollar investment to acquire and rehabilitate foreclosed
properties and turn them into more than 600 affordable units through partnerships with Ability
Housing and Lift Orlando.
And, we’re working hand-in-hand with faith leaders like Bishop Wiggins and the Hope Church
as they buy and rehabilitate residential and commercial properties to provide more affordable
housing. A great example of this is the Hope Church’s New Horizons project, a once blighted
apartment complex that’s now a model for affordable and sustainable housing.
---
Transportation is another major challenge, one that impacts every one of us.
That’s why we’re so focused on expanding transit options across our region and making sure
Orlando is front and center when it comes to the development and deployment of cutting edge
transit technology.
(-- 44 --) Just last week, SunRail opened its 17-mile Southern Expansion, connecting Orlando
with Kissimmee and other communities in southern Orange and Osceola County. We talk so
much about the train, but it’s really about the riders. Carmen Otero, a City employee who lives
Poinciana, ran up to me the other day and said her commute has been cut in half. SunRail has
literally changed her life.
(-- 45 --) We’ve been designated as an autonomous vehicle proving ground to help ensure that
our community is one of the first to see the benefits of this game-changing technology, so that
the industries that support AVs will grow here.
(-- 46 --) Our airport expansion is under way. OIA’s new multimodal center is already open, it’s
beautiful and, tip from the mayor, you can park there and remotely check your baggage. And,
we’re less than two years away from opening a new terminal that will ease congestion at the

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airport and offer our residents a Brightline connection to South Florida. When that happens,
OIA will be the only airport in America with an intra-city rail hub.
(-- 47 --) Our Central Florida Expressway Authority is expanding our road network to meet the
demands of our growing population.
(-- 48 --) Our partners at LYNX are working to make our bus system run on renewable fuels and
electricity… and are modernizing their route system.
(-- 49 --) And, if you want to talk about investment, the I-4 Ultimate project is generating one
million dollars’ worth of work every single day.
(-- 50 --) All of this is just in time for Harry Barley to retire from his position heading up
MetroPlan for the last 22 years. Thank you, Harry for your commitment and vision to building a
modern transportation network in Orlando. And, we look forward to working with his successor,
Gary Huttman.
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As we continue to focus on challenges… there’s no more important challenge than keeping our
City safe. Safety is our most important job. And, it always will be.
(-- 51 --) Over the last year, we added 15 new police positions to meet the needs of the rapidly
growing southeast part of our City.
(-- 52 --) And, we secured grant funding to add 15 Downtown bike officers to help keep our
urban core safe as we host more events and prepare to welcome students to the UCF-Valencia
campus.
(-- 53 --) In the year ahead, we’re putting 10 new officers on the street. And, we’re are adding
15 new school resources officers to ensure that every public school in our City is protected by an
OPD officer.
(-- 54 --) Thanks to our neighborhood watch groups, residential burglaries are down more than
50 percent over the last three years.
(-- 55 --) We’ve invested in a new Computer Aided Dispatch system that integrates OPD and
OFD, and will increase efficiency, collaboration and enhance the safety of our residents.
(-- 56 --) We’re also investing in three state-of-the-art replacement fire stations in Rosemont,
Baldwin Park and Dover Shores. Recently, 12 new firefighters and a new tower rescue truck
began serving the southeast part of our city.
(-- 57 --) Over the last year, we’ve been evaluating best practices in providing emergency
medical service. To provide the highest level of care in the most efficient manner, the OFD will
hire 29 new paramedics and EMTs for medical transport.
(-- 58 --) And, as I always note, our Fire Department’s accreditations make it the most elite
department in the country.

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We’re getting close to 60.
We’re at reason number 59.
Can I tell you what I love, and what I hope our residents and businesses love and appreciate?
(-- 59 --) The work our City government does to provide the best municipal services in the state
while we continue to grow at a record pace, all while keeping our taxes low.
Did you know you get these services for the equivalent of a large cup of coffee each day? And,
that’s not one of those fancy cappuccinos, either.
Did you also know that our employees are making it easier to access City services? Our digital
city hall initiative is about offering the services that people need from City hall, available on
their time, online, 24 hours a day. Starting today, 50 of our most-requested services are available
on Orlando.gov.
(-- 60 --) And, do you know who makes all of this possible?
Reason number 60 why we love our City?
Our City employees.
Our City family members as we call them.
The services we just described, and really everything we talked about today, would not be
possible without them.
Our employees are everywhere, every day.
They pick up our trash.
They clean our streets.
They help our businesses thrive.
They keep us safe and respond when we’re in trouble.
They take care of our kids.
They build and maintain our parks and sports fields.
They run our venues.
They do it all with a smile, with passion and commitment.
Our employees don’t always get the recognition they deserve.
So, I want all of them to hear it from their mayor today, in this forum.
Thank you for everything you do.

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It’s a privilege to work with you every day as we serve our residents.
Please, everyone, join me in saying thank you to our City family.
---
Our City family also includes our great City Commissioners.
I want to thank each of them who are incredible partners and visionaries.
Commissioners, please stand and be recognized.
Everyone, help me say thank-you to our City Commissioners.
---
Well, that’s our list.
We promised you 60 reasons and we delivered 60 reasons.
But, if we’ve learned anything from today’s political climate, it’s that you’re allowed to be a
little “flexible” when it comes to facts, especially when you’re giving a speech.
This was a great list, but, we haven’t talked about all the quirky or special stuff that gives our
city character.
Should we go beyond 60?
Should we have a little fun?
Alright, what else do we love about Orlando?
(-- 61* --) How about art everywhere, including traffic boxes and storm drains
(-- 61* --) Our See Art Orlando Sculptures
(-- 61* --) and Murals across our City
---
Our cultural festivals like,
(-- 61* --) The Creative City project – Immerse
(-- 61* --) The Fringe Festival
(-- 61* --) Our Lunar New Year Dragon Parade Festival
(-- 61* --) Arab Fest at Lake Eola
(-- 61* --) Our annual parades for Veteran’s Day, MLK, Come out with Pride and of course the
Puerto Rican parade
---
Celebrating our city’s history with,

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(-- 61* --) Greenwood Cemetery’s moonlight history tours
(-- 61* --) The Wells’ Built Museum
(-- 61* --) What about the Jones High School Choir and Wind Ensemble performing at Carnegie
Hall
(-- 61* --) Celebrating the first Iftar Dinner at City Hall during Ramadan this year
(-- 61* --) Orlando Wetlands Park
(-- 61* --) The Shuffle Board Club at the Beardall Center
(-- 61* --) The legacy and leadership of our former mayors, like Mayor Frederick who’s with us
today!
(-- 61* --) Dedicated volunteers including those who serve on our Council of Clergy, our
Veterans Advisory Board and all our City Board volunteers
(-- 61* --) Our new designation as a Purple Heart City
---
Or unique events like,
(-- 61* --) Keep Orlando Beautiful’s Trash 2 Trends
(-- 61* --) The dinner Party Project
(-- 61* --) Nerd Nite Orlando
(-- 61* --) Orlando Story Club
(-- 61* --) and, the “Senior Prom” at L. Claudia Allen!
---
What about some of our most famous residents,
(-- 61* --) Our swans
(-- 61* --) Orlando Firefighter Manny Washington, who made it to the Finals of the Food
Network’s Next Great Star.
(-- 61* --) Everybody from around the world knows and loves them, too, but how about our
world class theme parks and hospitality industry.
(-- 61* --) And, one of my favorites, our new City flag!
(-- 61* --) Anyone else feel the spirit and want to shout out something they love about Orlando,
go ahead!
Alright, give yourselves a round of applause!
This is Orlando!

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---
We began our State of the City event with a message from our new poet laureate.
Her piece reminded us that Orlando really is America’s new melting pot.
We’re a City of proud natives… and those who moved here from other parts of the country, or
even the world.
We’re a City of people of different colors and races, and different sexual orientations.
We’re a City of different political ideologies and different ideas about faith.
We’re a great big wonderful mix of people, who don’t agree on everything.
But, we do agree that Orlando is where we want to live, raise our families, and work to realize
our dreams.
When it comes down to it, we’re a City that seems to be able to do what a lot of people are
unable to do in these days of political polarization.
We work together despite our differences.
For this reason, the state of our City is strong!
And, that strength doesn’t come from a new project or building.
It doesn’t come from a list of reasons why we love our City.
That strength comes from all of you, our residents!
Thank you for being with us this morning.
Thank you all for your love and commitment to our City.
God bless America.
And, God Bless Orlando!
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