Government Structure
Orlando operates under a strong mayor–council form of government, a structure documented by the City of Orlando and Ballotpedia. In this model, the mayor is elected at-large by all city voters and serves as the full-time chief executive of municipal government, presiding over city council meetings and directing daily operations. Six city commissioners, each representing a distinct geographic district, join the mayor to form a seven-member legislative body. All seven seats carry four-year terms.
Unlike council-manager cities, Orlando does not employ a traditional city manager. Instead, the executive function is divided between the elected mayor and an appointed Chief Administrative Officer. As of April 2026, that role is held by FJ Flynn, who was appointed to the position in January 2025, according to the City of Orlando's mayor's office contacts.
The Mayor
Buddy Dyer has served as Orlando's mayor continuously since winning a special election in February 2003, making his tenure among the longest of any sitting big-city mayor in Florida. Ballotpedia documents his initial election and subsequent re-elections through the present term. As of April 2026, Dyer remains in office and was elected chairman of the Central Florida Expressway Authority in February 2026, per a CFX news release.
In January 2025, Dyer confirmed publicly that he will not seek a seventh term, according to Ballotpedia. The next mayoral election is scheduled for 2027. The mayor's responsibilities under Orlando's charter include presiding over council sessions, exercising veto authority over ordinances, and overseeing the day-to-day administration of city departments — all functions that distinguish the strong-mayor model from the council-manager structure common in other Florida cities.
City Council Members
As of April 2026, the six district commissioners serving alongside Mayor Dyer are Tom Keen (District 1), Tony Ortiz (District 2), Roger Chapin (District 3), Patty Sheehan (District 4), Shaniqua Rose (District 5), and Bakari Burns (District 6), per Ballotpedia's 2025 Orlando city elections coverage. The composition reflects results from 2025 contests: Tom Keen won the District 1 seat, Roger Chapin won District 3, and Shaniqua Rose was re-elected in District 5, all documented by Ballotpedia profiles for Tom Keen and Roger Chapin.
Each commissioner is elected solely by voters residing within their respective district, while the mayor is chosen by the citywide electorate. This hybrid structure — ward-based commission seats paired with an at-large executive — is the framework the city has operated under through Orlando's growth from a mid-sized Florida city into a metro area that the Orlando Economic Partnership documented at approximately 2.98 million residents in 2025.
Recent Legislative Actions
The council's most consequential recent action was the adoption of Orlando's FY 2025-2026 budget, covering October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. As documented by Orlando Today / 6AM City and a City of Orlando press release, the approved budget totals $1.8 billion and prioritizes three areas: public safety, mobility, and neighborhood enhancements. The public safety allocation includes a $25 million increase and adds 16 new police officers alongside expanded Advanced Life Support services. Mobility investments total $12 million, and neighborhood enhancement funding stands at $6.4 million.
The budget decision reflects the council's role under Orlando's strong-mayor structure, in which the mayor proposes the spending plan and the commission approves it. The $1.8 billion figure represents the operative financial framework for city services and capital projects through September 30, 2026. The City of Orlando's Growth Management Plan Indicators 2024 Annual Report separately documents longer-range capital improvement programming, affordable housing benchmarks, and multi-modal transportation planning that inform the council's ongoing legislative agenda.
Sources
- Orlando | Florida Historical Society https://myfloridahistory.org/date-in-history/july-31-1875/orlando Used for: City incorporation in 1875 with 29 residents; Fort Gatlin construction; renaming from Jernigan to Orlando in 1857; county seat designation
- Florida Frontiers – How did Orlando Get its Name? | Florida Historical Society https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/article/13 Used for: First post office 1850; name changed to Orlando 1857; 29 residents at incorporation in 1875
- Orlando Changes – Orange County Regional History Center https://www.thehistorycenter.org/orlando-changes/ Used for: Orlando became county seat when voters chose the area around Lake Eola in late 1856
- Orlando | History, Attractions, Map, & Facts | Britannica https://www.britannica.com/place/Orlando-Florida Used for: Settlement around Fort Gatlin c.1843; town renamed to honor Orlando Reeves; Disney complex covers 47 square miles
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Used for: Population (311,732), median age (35.1), median household income ($69,268), median home value ($359,000), median gross rent ($1,650), poverty rate (15.5%), unemployment rate (5.3%), labor force participation (81.7%), owner/renter occupancy rates, educational attainment (26.1% bachelor's or higher)
- Triple Crown: Orlando Leads the Nation in Job, Population and GDP Growth | Orlando Economic Partnership https://news.orlando.org/blog/triple-crown-orlando-leads-the-nation-in-job-population-and-gdp-growth/ Used for: 37,500 new jobs in 2024; 2.5% YoY employment growth; highest job growth among 30 most populous U.S. metros; healthcare added 6,900 jobs; leisure/hospitality added 7,700 jobs
- Orlando Again Leads State in Job Growth | Orlando Economic Partnership https://news.orlando.org/blog/orlando-again-leads-state-in-job-growth/ Used for: 8,800 net jobs added in calendar year 2025 per revised Florida Department of Commerce data
- Key Sectors | Orlando Economic Development https://business.orlando.org/l/key-sectors/ Used for: Aerospace, defense, simulation, advanced manufacturing, and biotech as key economic sectors beyond tourism
- Orlando Metrics – Orlando Chamber of Commerce https://orlandochamberofcommerce.com/metrics.php Used for: Metro population approximately 2.98 million (2025); economy spans tourism, technology, aerospace, healthcare, professional services
- Lake Eola History – City of Orlando https://www.orlando.gov/Parks-the-Environment/Directory/Lake-Eola-Park/Lake-Eola-History Used for: Lake Eola as sinkhole lake; fountain first installed 1912; Walt Disney Amphitheater in park
- Lake Eola Park – City of Orlando https://www.orlando.gov/Parks-the-Environment/Directory/Lake-Eola-Park Used for: Lake Eola Park described as the City's main urban park in heart of downtown Orlando
- Orange County Regional History Center (official site) https://www.thehistorycenter.org/ Used for: Smithsonian affiliate; four floors of exhibits exploring 14,000 years of Central Florida heritage; operated by Orange County and Historical Society of Central Florida
- Orange County Regional History Center – Orange County Government https://netapps.ocfl.net/ocserves/Organization.aspx?oid=1 Used for: Smithsonian Institution affiliate and American Alliance of Museums member; housed in renovated 1927 courthouse
- Orlando Arts & Entertainment | Visit Orlando https://www.visitorlando.com/things-to-do/beyond-theme-parks/arts-entertainment/ Used for: Dr. Phillips Center hosting Orlando Ballet, Opera Orlando, and Orlando Philharmonic; Loch Haven Cultural Park with Orlando Museum of Art and Mennello Museum of American Art
- City elections in Orlando, Florida (2025) – Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/City_elections_in_Orlando,_Florida_(2025) Used for: Mayor serves as seventh member of city council; six district commissioners; four-year terms
- Orlando, Florida – Ballotpedia https://ballotpedia.org/Orlando,_Florida Used for: Buddy Dyer current mayor; first elected February 2003; confirmed January 2025 will not seek seventh term; 2027 mayoral election
- Mayor & City Council – City of Orlando https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Mayor-City-Council Used for: City government structure; mayor and six-commissioner council; district representation
- Orlando-Area Projects Push Ahead Despite Headwinds | Engineering News-Record https://www.enr.com/articles/60553-orlando-area-projects-push-ahead-despite-headwinds Used for: Sunshine Corridor SunRail extension study from OIA to Convention Center; I-4 Moving Forward lane construction scheduled for end of 2025
- Regional Perspective, February 14, 2025 | Orlando Economic Partnership https://news.orlando.org/blog/regional-perspective-february-14-2025-innovation-and-connectivity/ Used for: SunRail and Brightline expansion as legislative priorities; affordable housing and economic development initiatives
- Growth Management Plan Indicators 2024 Annual Report – City of Orlando https://www.orlando.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/departments/edv/city-planning/2024-indicators-report.pdf Used for: City capital improvement program; affordable housing and multi-modal transportation planning documentation