Dear friends,

The City of Orlando is in the process of developing and approving the budget for the 2006-07 Fiscal Year. For the past three years, though faced with recurring budget gaps, we were able to balance the budget thanks to a new forecasting process to plan for the future; our City managers’ dedication to managing their budgets to remain “in the black;” and the creation and guidance of a Finance Committee which has provided financial oversight and advice.

By making some difficult decisions and with City Council’s dedication to that process, we have righted the City’s financial ship, and put our financial future back on track, without raising our millage rate.

With that dedication, and our growing tax base, we are in the position to propose the best ways to invest a 16% windfall in ad valorem revenue.

From the day I took office, this administration has focused on public safety and our City Council has supported that time and time again. In my first budget address, when we reduced the size of our City government by 7%, we remained committed to public safety by adding personnel; and last year, when budgets were tight, we provided $1.7 million for the tools, technology and training for our police and fire departments. This year, we have been fortunate to see a growth in the ad valorem revenue and our City Council’s commitment to public safety remains true.

As our community continues to see tremendous growth, we must enhance the strength and force of our police and fire departments, and other public safety personnel to meet and respond to the challenges we face today, and will face in the future.

Earlier this week, I proposed to City Council that a significant portion of our new revenue be dedicated to a three-year, comprehensive Public Safety Initiative to increase the effective strength of our police officers and fire personnel by 11% and add additional personnel to patrol our parks and recreational facilities. This multi-year program will also result in more than $65 million in public safety projects that will put more police substations in our neighborhoods, more fire and rescue units on our roads and more fire stations throughout the City, all to improve the quality of life for residents.

This unprecedented level of police and fire service will make a statement to people who think they can act outside of the law. In all of our City neighborhoods, especially our at-risk communities, the increased visibility and resources will reassure our families that we are working everyday to make the streets of Orlando safer.

A detailed explanation of this Public Safety Initiative is outlined in this week’s edition of City News. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Buddy Dyer
Mayor

Mayor Dyer’s Multi-Year, Multi-Million Dollar Citywide Public Safety Initiative will:

Increase the effective strength and force of our public safety personnel. This will put 75 more trained and skilled officers on our streets over the next three years that will patrol our neighborhoods and protect our children. In addition, two detectives will be added to the Violent Crimes section of the Investigative Bureau. The City will fund three new fire stations with 45 new fire personnel operating three advanced life support engine companies in Savannah Park, Lake Nona and the Millenia area.

Enhance the public safety infrastructure. Adding two police sub-stations and three new fire stations in the southeast and southwest parts of the City will allow officers to become threaded into our distinct City neighborhoods. In addition, the Fire Department’s Special Operation and Technical Rescue teams have decentralized bringing them closer to neighborhoods and residents.

New eastside public safety complex. The City will complete the funding of a new public safety complex on Primrose that will open this fall. The complex will house OPD’s Neighborhood Enhancement Community branch and the Fire department’s training and special ops units.

Provide our officers with the advanced training opportunities. A new state-of-the-art, multi-use training facility with classrooms and night-simulated firearms training will ensure our police officers have the latest and most up-to-date training.

A new high-tech, digital communication system. This new, Citywide system, Project 25, will soon be the standard around the country and allows our first responders to more efficiently and consistently communicate with one another, and outside agencies, during an emergency

Additional frontline emergency responders. Our frontline emergency responders at the communications call center will grow in force adding 13 new dispatchers to maintain our high standard for customer service and responsiveness in answering your emergency 9-1-1 calls.

Attain a perfect ISO rating of 1. This three-year proposal also includes the training, equipment and personnel that will lay the foundation to attain the City’s first ISO rating of “1.” The City is currently at a 2. This is the highest rating that cities and communities across the nation strive to achieve for their citizens … attaining rapid response times, lowering residential and commercial property insurance rates and keeping the Orlando Fire Department in the top 1% of rated-fire agencies in the country.

Additional tools and resources. Included in this initiative is a recurring increase of nearly half a million dollars for the replacement and purchase of life saving equipment, including self-contained breathing apparatus, hoses, thermal imaging cameras and personal protective gear.

Multi-family inspection program. Through this proposal, a new, multi-family inspection program will be added to the Code Enforcement Division, to focus on monitoring and inspecting multi-family developments, and to also monitor condo conversion projects. This program will bring 7 new positions, increasing the efficiency of Code Enforcement by 25% to better monitor complaints and ensure the safety of residents throughout our City.

Graffiti reduction program. Graffiti attracts other forms of crime and street delinquency to the neighborhoods. Adding a dedicated staff person to the Keep Orlando Beautiful program will help establish a graffiti reduction program that will educate youth and adults about the importance of graffiti prevention and abatement and provide tools and resources such as graffiti removal kits to businesses and residents. In addition, partnering with the OPD will enhance the ability to monitor graffiti-prone locations and enforce vandalism laws.

Families, Parks and Recreation Service Enhancements. Over the past two years, the City has developed new recreation centers and beautification projects for our parks. Now, the City is taking a proactive approach by adding personnel to patrol our parks and recreational facilities.

This week, staff from various City departments presented highlights of the proposed budget for the 2006-07 Fiscal Year to City Council. Specifically, the Orlando Police and Fire Departments presented their budget, which includes the Mayor Dyer’s Public Safety Initiative.

On July 24, Mayor Dyer will present the proposed budget to City Council at 10 a.m. in Council Chambers. The public will have the opportunity to provide input on the budget at two public hearings, which will be held on September 11 and 18 at 5:01 p.m. in Council Chambers.

Get Inspired and Create a Scene…Downtown Orlando Comes Alive! Third Thursday is an evening of celebrating the arts all around Downtown.

You won’t want to miss the opening of all the galleries at CityArts Factory at 29 South Orange Avenue from 6 to 9 p.m.. The featured exhibit is “The Collected” and it’s a collection of works of art purchased by the Board of Director’s of the Downtown Arts District from LOCAL artists. Come by and meet the artists and see what great talent Central Florida has. You can also enjoy seeing original African Shona art at the Zulu Exclusive gallery; see the amazing work of Colio at Q Gallery; see a collection from the City of Orlando’s original art collection and even experience live glass blowing demonstrations at the Keila Glassworks Gallery.

Next head down to the Mayor’s 2nd and 3rd floor galleries at City Hall for the ‘Of Heaven and Earth’ exhibit featuring works by Steven St. Claire and Phyllis Thomas. You can also check out the Orlando Downtown Marriott and see their “Minus Color” exhibit featuring several local artists.

Continue through downtown Orlando to see all of the other openings including chART’s ‘A Night of Indulgence’ at Renovation in Thornton Park Central from 6 to 9 p.m. and end your night at the popular Arty Party at Urban Think from 7 to 10 p.m. featuring Sandy Neubarth’s work in “Around the World”. Enjoy a great evening of art and music…be at Third Thursday, July 20th.

On Wednesday, July 12, Mayor Dyer was on hand to unveil Orlando Fire Station 2’s hot new ‘Fire Engine Red’ Designer Kitchen. Fire Station 2 celebrated their new kitchen with approximately 75 friends, family, local officials and members of the community.

The firefighters recently won a $10,000 kitchen spruce up in Maxwell House’s national photo essay contest. Orlando Fire Station 2 was selected as one of only ten winners nationwide. Their photo-essay told of their kitchen’s threadbare cabinets, busted tiles, crammed counters and beat up appliances.

Fire Station 2 now feels more like a home for the firefighters, engineers and lieutenants that call the “Pride of Parramore” their second home.

City Hall
400 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407.246.2221
Fax: 407.246.2842
Email: buddy.dyer@cityoforlando.net