Lambasted a week ago by state officials for “egregious spending,” Orange County leaders defended their proposed $8.3 billion county budget at the first of two required hearings to formally adopt the 2025-26 spending plan and the property tax rate funding much of it.

“There are not many counties in Florida growing at the rate of Orange Countym and we are the number one tourist destination in North America,” Mayor Jerry Demings said Thursday, outlining the budget challenges of providing services and protection for millions of residents and visitors. “In spite of this, we have been able to maintain our county-wide tax rate that currently is the 11th lowest in the state of Florida.”

The mayor did not identify by name the county’s fiscal critics. But his rebuttal addressed accusations by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, who recently led a DOGE, or Department of Governmental Efficiency, team reviewing county expenses.

 

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Ingoglia alleged county leaders hoped to keep “the gravy train going” while the governor’s goal was to eliminate property taxes.

Appointed to his post by DeSantis, Ingoglia acknowledged Orange County has grown by 80,000 new residents over the last four years but also noted its operating budget swelled by $560 million over the same span. “You could probably add a whole ‘nother city for that amount,” he mused.

The proposed budget is a 2.6% decrease from last year’s budget.

Demings said the county’s ad valorem or property tax stream rose because of “robust economic strength in our county and the growth in construction,” but the 9% annual growth of property tax revenue over five years was comparable to most other Florida counties.

“In fact, in 2024, Orange County’s ad valorem percentage growth was lower than 48 other counties,” the mayor said.

Much of the revenue growth is a result of new development, which has added thousands of new homes, businesses and tourist attractions like Universal’s Epic Universe theme park to the tax rolls, he said. “And yes, it adds new revenue, but it also requires us to add more services to maintain the level of quality of life our citizens expect,” Demings said listing increased costs of public safety and transportation needs.

The proposed budget includes more than $1.2 billion for public safety — the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, fire and rescue services and the county jail, which are mostly funded by property taxes. The budget for public safety has risen $445 million or about 10% annually since 2022. Demings, whose long law enforcement career included 10 years as sheriff, said the increases funded new positions and operational expenses.

The proposed sheriff’s office budget is $423 million, a 10.5% increase or $40.2 million more than last year, and calls for 41 new positions.

“The reality is it helps us to keep crime low,” he said.

Orange County’s public-safety investments over the last five years have included a new sheriff’s substation and evidence facility, several new fire stations, and a $52 million fire training center “to ensure our firefighters are ready for any emergency,” the mayor said.

The proposed budget also sets aside $17.7 million to help develop affordable and workforce housing. The investment keeps a  pledge to put $160 million over 10 years into a county-controlled trust fund, credited with aiding projects that have added nearly 3,000 units.

The budgeted contribution brings the total investment over seven years to $101.5 million.

The fund was proposed by a task force created by the mayor to address the paucity of affordable housing in Orange County.

Orange County sets aside $10 million for affordable housing

Demings also highlighted the county’s commitment to reduce homelessness, a state mandate.

The 2025-26 budget provides $56 million to tackle the issue. “Using these resources, we will continue to expand services, increase shelter capacity, meet new state requirements and launch new initiatives to help with this ever-growing problem,” he said.

The final required hearing is September 18 at 5 p.m. at the Orange County Administration Building.

shudak@orlandosentinel.com

 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/09/05/mayor-demings-defends-orange-countys-spending/