Winter Park’s financial strength and future goals took center stage as Mayor Phil Anderson gave his final State of the City address at Winter Park Events Center on the morning of Feb. 16. Residents were invited to the free community event that also featured the annual presentations of city employee awards and the Mayor’s Founders’ Award.
Anderson, who will not be seeking a second term, began his address by thanking the residents for allowing him the privilege of serving them. “The strength of our city comes from all the people (who) live here,” he said. “All the people (who) work to make it a beautiful place.”
He noted the importance of focusing on the values of residents and cited the city’s partnership with the citizen-led Fix 426 initiative, aimed at improving safety along Aloma Avenue, as an example. He also discussed the benefits of the city’s partnership with Orange County in the proposed extension and expansion of the Community Redevelopment Agency. “It will allow us to fix more of our stormwater and flood prevention system,” he said of the extension. “And it’s going to allow us to put more money into keeping housing affordable by preserving homes and expanding the supply of attainable housing.”
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