Mayor Jerry Demings spoke to a large crowd at the Orange County Community Conference about county priorities and his next steps in public life.

Demings said he has formally entered the race for governor of Florida but reaffirmed his commitment to finish his current mayoral term through December 2026. He told the audience he would continue to perform mayoral duties while campaigning.

On policy, Demings highlighted several county initiatives and near-term allocations. He described a multi-year county commitment of about $100 million to improve transportation and operations over five years, with $55 million earmarked for public-works safety projects (lighting, sidewalks and roadway improvements) and $45 million for enhanced bus operations and service frequency. He also noted the county's ongoing housing trust fund, expanded investments in homelessness and behavioral-health services, and continued work on senior and community facilities.

In a question-and-answer session, Demings addressed constituent concerns ranging from insurance and fraud, to the tourist development tax's (TDT) allowable uses, and state preemption of some local authorities. He said TDT expansion or other statutory changes would require action in Tallahassee but said he supports using tourism-related revenues where possible for housing and transportation improvements. He also said local government needs more stable funding sources to meet rising service demands.

Demings described his governing philosophy as "people-centric," citing human-services investments — including additional funding to address mental health and homelessness — among his accomplishments. He said the county has allocated tens of millions in the current budget for human-services responses and housing preservation.

The mayor also encouraged public-private partnerships and said his experience in local government gives him perspective on implementing statewide solutions.

Provenance: Mayor remarks and Q&A at the Orange County Community Conference (topic start SEG 3959; topic finish SEG 5190).