City of Orlando Commissioner Tony Ortiz (District 2) has announced he will run for re-election next year. Ortiz made the announcement before a room full of supporters on Wednesday night.
“Tonight I am asking you to join with me as I announce that I am going to be a candidate for re-election for District 2,” Ortiz said to loud applause.
Following a brief introduction by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who said that Ortiz had “done a fantastic job as District 2 representative,” and offered his “total support and endorsement for his re-election,” the commissioner then laid out his record of accomplishments.
Ortiz said one of his campaign promises was to tackle crime and that’s precisely what he did shortly after being elected more than three years ago.
“…Two weeks into my term, I formed a task force …to address illegal transactions at alleged restaurants in the Semoran corridor,” he said, “…We ended up closing three of those bars and also tackling the illicit drug transactions going on around the methadone clinic.”
Ortiz made reference to the seniors vs. crime office that had been established to help curb crimes against the elderly. This office, he said, works in conjunction with a police satellite office in the area, and was instrumental in helping to bring down crime in District 2.
“Our police are very visible and crime has gone down in my district and has stayed down,” he said.
The commissioner highlighted other areas in which gains had been made, including more after school programs for kids, increased seniors’ programs, development of a ‘Vision Plan’ for the Semoran corridor, weatherization of hundreds of homes in conjunction with OUC, revitalization of several parks in the district and the award of $3 million under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
Ortiz said he was particularly proud of the creation of the Neighborhood Leaders Council and Semoran Business Partnership, tasked with supporting growth and development of the district.
“These two councils were created to ensure communication between local government, our constitutents and the business community, while staying proactive in matters of our infrastructure, economic development and redevelopment of certain areas in District 2,” Ortiz said.
He said that the recent “Market Street District” designation was key to helping the area qualify for funds to continue with the beautification and revitalization of the Semoran corridor, the gateway to Orlando.
“More than three years ago, we were successful in our quest to make sure our district got the dollars we deserved,” Ortiz said. “We got the extra patrols and police we deserve, our kids got the attention they deserve and our seniors got the services they have earned.”
He said that these are the issues — jobs, public safety, seniors programs, after-school programs for kids, rehabilitation of foreclosed homes, revitalization of the Semoran corridor and more — that people in District 2 care about and on which he intends to run again.
Ortiz ended his remarks by making a call for increased collaboration and partnership, and referred to neighbors and neighborhoods coming together, working together in District 2.
“I hope we can continue this sense of being a family because Orlando needs this, it needs this collaboration among us,” he said. “…We need to continue working together. Let’s put partisanship aside. Let’s work together to make Orlando not only the best place in the world, let’s make it the best place in the universe.”
