Orlando mayor delivers annual State of the City address

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer delivered his 2014 State of the City address to a crowd gathered on Church Street Thursday morning.

A SunRail car served as a backdrop for Dyer who spoke of issues ranging from the homeless, to the new commuter rail system that is set to begin operation in May.

Dyer talked about how Orlando and the central Florida region are beginning a new era of connectivity.

The mayor said he is working on a new phase of the commuter rail system that will include a connection to Orlando International Airport.

While the mayor focused on the accomplishments made by the city, he also spoke of challenges the city faces.

Dyer said he plans to work on a permanent housing project to help out the homeless population in the city.

The mayor said that although the city's finances are in good shape there are some long-term issues that need to be addressed. He said raising property taxes might be the only way to deal with future financial issues.

"We recognize that we could kick the can down the road, in terms of the structural imbalance, but I think what we have done today is open a conversation about not draining down our reserves and not leaving the problem for another day," Dyer said, following his speech.

WFTV