Dyer: Orlando is Strong, but many Challenges remain

Against the backdrop of a SunRail cab car at the Church Street station stop, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on Thursday delivered his 2014 State of the City address.

Dyer highlighted several accomplishments that had been achieved, while noting that “many challenges” remain. Among the achievements are new developments taking place in transit, including Central Florida’s commuter rail system set to become operational on May 1.

SunRail is already creating jobs, spurring development and laying the foundation for enhanced public transit across the region, he said. Reference was also made to All Aboard Florida, an inter-city rail system to the Orlando International Airport which would connect with South Florida through the airport and SunRail.

“The extraordinary perseverance and partnership that made Sun Rail possible… is the same special formula that has powered so many of the major accomplishments that have transformed Orlando,” he said.

Noting that one in three jobs is dependent on the tourism industry, Dyer talked about efforts to diversity Orlando and made mention of the Medical City. He touted too, the economic vitality of Orlando saying, 26 projects were underway or in the pipeline, representing $2.5 billion in investment downtown.

Notwithstanding the rosy economic picture, Dyer said, “many challenges” continue to confront Orlando and he identified two – the City’s budget and homelessness.

Although proud of the City’s strong financial management, he said, there’s a long-term structural problem regarding the budget.

“Even as the economy recovers, state-imposed revenue caps will cripple our ability to keep up with the demands of public safety and other vital city services,” he said.

Dyer added that, further budget cuts would have negative consequences on services and appealed to citizens to find solutions to help meet this challenge.

Regarding homelessness, Dyer conceded that the city had failed to adequately address this problem. “It’s now time to rethink and reorganize the way we approach this challenge,” he said.

Dyer set out a goal of placing one-third of the chronically homeless into safe housing, over the next three years. While ambitious, it could be attained through collaboration, he said.