ORLANDO, Fla. — During his annual State of the County address Friday, Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings touted the successes of Orange County, but also highlighted the work that still needs to be done.

What You Need To Know

  • Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings delivered the State of the County address Friday

  • Throughout his speech, he highlighted some of the county’s achievements, pitfalls, and noted the areas where there is room for growth

  • After his speech, Demings said that potential state and federal budget cuts are one of the main reasons why "building better through efficiency" is his goal

One thing that Demings wanted to make sure that people knew Friday was his theme moving forward.

“Today’s presentation will highlight how Orange County is building better through efficiency," Demings said.

After his speech, Demings said that potential state and federal budget cuts are one of the main reasons why "building better through efficiency" is his goal.

“We have challenged our entire departments, divisions, and sub-units within the county to take a look at their budgets to ensure that we are spending the taxpayer dollars in the most efficient ways," Demings said.

Throughout his speech, he highlighted some of the county’s achievements, pitfalls, and the places were there is room for growth.

“With a net of 800 people moving to Orange County each week, we are one of the fastest growing communities in the nation," he said.

That's why Demings says the county adopted Vision 2050 and Orange Code to outline the area’s growth for the next 25 years, and is why the county is committing $160 million over the next 10 years to address affordable housing and the homeless population.

“Last year, the board approved $32 million for the construction of seven affordable housing developments," Demings said. "This year alone, we have opened and broken ground on over 900 affordable and workforce housing units.”

Eighty-two percent of Florida’s extremely low-income renters are severely cost-burdened, the second highest percentage in the U.S., according to the mayor. This issue affects every state and community nationwide, including Metro Orlando.

And with budget cuts taking place at the state and federal levels, Demings said the county hopes to attract high-wage jobs and get people the skills they need to get them.

“If we bring the housing costs down for those who are low-waged earners, effectively, that gives them more discretionary income to do other things with," Demings said. "If we improved their skill sets through education, we’re able to uplift their ability to earn a greater amounts of money.”

Those initiatives that local organizations looking to combat affordable housing and homelessness are happy to hear about.

Christian Service Center Executive Director Eric Gray sent Spectrum News 13 a statement saying:

“Mayor Demings’ State of the County made one thing clear: housing is the top priority in Orange County. From affordability and homelessness to zoning updates in Vision 2050, permitting reforms through Team 400, and flood mitigation in the Orange Recovery Program, nearly every initiative connects back to housing. His address reflects a strong understanding that housing stability is essential to our region’s economic strength, public safety, and overall quality of life.”

And with tourism bringing in 75.3 million visitors and $93 billion in economic impact, Demings said he believes Orange County is in a good place.

When asked about travel bans and how immigration decisions will impact tourism, Demings said there is still some uncertainty, but that officials do anticipate some impacts. He did say, however, that their hotel booking numbers remain strong.