Short answer: Orlando is run by Mayor Buddy Dyer, in office since 2003, and six district commissioners who form the Orlando City Council, all on four-year terms. Council meets at 2 p.m. in Council Chambers, and Orlando City Hall is at 400 South Orange Avenue (407.246.2121). The city budget is nearly $1.9 billion for a fiscal year starting October 1, and the next city election is November 2, 2027. Orange County is a separate government led by Mayor Jerry L. Demings.
Last verified: October 15, 2026, against the sources listed at the end of this page.
Who runs the City of Orlando government?
The City of Orlando is run by Mayor Buddy Dyer, elected at large and in office since 2003, and six City Commissioners elected by district, who together form the Orlando City Council.
Orlando voters fill each council seat for four years at a time, and the mayor's office answers at 407.246.2221 (City of Orlando Mayor and City Council).
| Orlando seat | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Mayor, citywide | Buddy Dyer |
| Commission District 1 | Tom Keen |
| Commission District 2 | Tony Ortiz |
| Commission District 3 | Roger Chapin |
| Commission District 4 | Patty Sheehan |
| Commission District 5 | Shan Rose |
| Commission District 6 | Bakari F. Burns |
The Orlando council mixes long and short tenures. Patty Sheehan was first elected to the City Council in 2000, Bakari F. Burns joined the City Commission in 2020, and Tom Keen was elected to represent District 1 in 2025 (City of Orlando council profiles).
Orlando City Hall, phone 407.246.2121, stands at 400 South Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando and lists hours of Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (City of Orlando). The Orlando City Council members guide in this section gives each commissioner's background and district; the Orlando elected officials guide covers the mayor and the structure of city government.
When does the Orlando City Council meet, and how can residents speak?
Regular Orlando City Council sessions open at 2 p.m. in Council Chambers, and an Agenda Review session normally comes first at 1 p.m.
Agenda Review moves to right after any scheduled workshop, and it is not live streamed, so watching it means attending in person or joining by Zoom (City of Orlando council meetings page). Comment on the Orlando Consent Agenda, items A through L, is heard only during Agenda Review.
Speaking before the Orlando City Council takes a written request to the City Clerk's Office, and for a Consent Agenda item or a general appearance it is due by 9 a.m. the day of the session. The online comment form, an email, a letter or a visit to the Office of City Clerk on the second floor of City Hall, 407.246.2251, all work. (City of Orlando).
Each general appearance at an Orlando council session gets 3 minutes at most, less if a long list of speakers signs up. Remarks are taken live in the room or in writing ahead of time, and the city asks big groups to pick one speaker (Orlando City Council public comment rules).
Orlando council sessions are televised live on the city site, on YouTube and on Channel 488 Orange TV (City of Orlando). After 4 p.m. the meeting can also be watched on Vision TV Channel 492 on Spectrum, Channel 98 on Comcast and channel 1082 on CenturyLink Prism TV (City of Orlando meetings page).
How big is the Orlando city budget, and when is it set?
The City of Orlando describes its budget as nearly $1.9 billion, adopted after two council budget hearings in September for a fiscal year that runs from October 1 to September 30.
For fiscal year 2026 to 2027, Orlando held a budget proposal workshop on July 13, 2026 and public budget hearings on September 14, 2026 and September 28, 2026, and the city says it has finalized and adopted the FY27 budget (City of Orlando Budget Documents). The same page posts the FY2027 Commissioner Budget Notebook and a property tax reform presentation from the September 14 hearing.
Historical Orlando budget documents older than those posted can be requested through a public records request (City of Orlando). The same page lists the Orlando FY2026 Budget Book and the 2025-2026 quarterly fund status reports.
The Orlando city budget guide in this section was published in May 2026 and describes the FY 2025-2026 budget. The city's FY27 budget for the year that began October 1, 2026 is now adopted, so the Budget Documents page is the place to check current numbers.
When is the next Orlando city election?
Orlando voters next go to the polls for city offices on Tuesday, November 2, 2027, choosing a mayor and commissioners for three districts: 2, 4 and 6.
Candidates for Orlando office file and qualify with the City Clerk (City of Orlando Election Information). On the city's timeline, the people elected in 2027 are sworn in to Orlando office on January 10, 2028.
A mail ballot for the 2027 Orlando race needs a new request, because vote-by-mail requests expire after each federal general election cycle; the county elections office handles them (City of Orlando). Karen Castor Dentel is the Orange County Supervisor of Elections (Orange County Supervisor of Elections).
The county-run 2026 general election comes first. The Orange County elections office lists early voting from 8 a.m. on October 19 through 8 p.m. on November 1, 2026, and counted 821,072 registered active voters across Orange County as of October 14, 2026 (Orange County Supervisor of Elections). That county figure includes voters outside Orlando city limits.
The remaining Orlando seats, numbered 1, 3 and 5, were on the November 4, 2025 general municipal election ballot, and a District 3 run-off followed on December 9, 2025 (City of Orlando election notices).
What does Orange County government handle for Orlando residents?
Orange County is a separate government from the City of Orlando, run by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners that includes a county mayor elected at large.
Orange County commissioners and the county mayor serve overlapping four-year terms. The mayor and the commissioners for districts 2, 4 and 6 are elected in the cycle that includes 2026, and districts 1, 3 and 5 in presidential election years such as 2024 (Orange County Board of County Commissioners). The county page also offers a search that finds the county commissioner for any street address.
Jerry L. Demings was sworn in as the fifth elected Mayor of Orange County on December 4, 2018 and was reelected in 2022; he oversees more than 8,000 county employees and a $7 billion budget (Orange County Mayor). His office is at 201 S. Rosalind Avenue, 5th floor, Orlando, phone (407) 836-7370.
Because the Orange County mayor's seat belongs to the 2026 election cycle while the Orlando mayor's seat is next filled in November 2027, county leadership can change a year before city leadership does.
Which Orlando government guide answers which question?
Three Digital Towns guides go deeper on Orlando government: the Orlando elected officials guide, the Orlando City Council members guide and the Orlando city budget guide.
| Question about Orlando | Key fact | Guide to read |
|---|---|---|
| Who is on the Orlando City Council? | A citywide mayor and six district seats | Orlando City Council members guide |
| How is the Orlando mayor's office organized? | Mayor elected at large, in office since 2003 | Orlando elected officials guide |
| How much does Orlando spend? | Nearly $1.9 billion; fiscal year October 1 to September 30 | Orlando city budget guide |
| When is the next Orlando election? | November 2, 2027: Mayor and Districts 2, 4, 6 | Orlando elected officials guide |
| How to speak at an Orlando council meeting? | Request by 9 a.m.; 3 minutes per speaker | Orlando City Council members guide |
Last verified: October 15, 2026, on the City of Orlando website. Orange County details were checked the same day on the Orange County government and Orange County Supervisor of Elections websites.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the mayor of Orlando, Florida?
Buddy Dyer is Mayor of the City of Orlando and has held the office since 2003. He is elected at large and sits on the Orlando City Council with six district commissioners. His office line is 407.246.2221, and the seat is next on the ballot on November 2, 2027.
When does the Orlando City Council meet?
Orlando council sessions open at 2 p.m. in Council Chambers, normally after a 1 p.m. Agenda Review. Anyone hoping to speak on a Consent Agenda item or at General Appearances submits a written request to the City Clerk's Office by 9 a.m. that day.
Is Orlando city government the same as Orange County government?
No. The City of Orlando has its own mayor and six-member commission, while Orange County has a seven-member Board of County Commissioners led by Mayor Jerry L. Demings. The county mayor's seat is on the 2026 election cycle, a year before Orlando's next city election.
How can someone contact Orlando City Hall?
Orlando City Hall is downtown at 400 South Orange Avenue, and its main line is 407.246.2121. The city lists City Hall hours of Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Office of City Clerk, on the second floor, answers at 407.246.2251.
Which Orlando council seats are up in 2027?
The Orlando ballot on November 2, 2027 covers the mayor and the commissioners for the second, fourth and sixth districts, who start their terms January 10, 2028. The first, third and fifth district seats were on the November 4, 2025 ballot, with a District 3 run-off on December 9, 2025.
Sources
- Mayor and City Council, City of Orlando https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Mayor-City-Council Used for: council make-up, four-year terms, mayor and six district commissioners with phone numbers, City Hall address and hours, Orange TV channel
- City Council Meetings, City of Orlando https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Mayor-City-Council/City-Council-Meetings Used for: 2 p.m. council meetings, 1 p.m. Agenda Review, 9 a.m. speaker request deadline, three-minute general appearances, City Clerk office and phone
- Election Information, City of Orlando https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Records-and-Documents/Election-Information Used for: November 2, 2027 general election for Mayor and Districts 2, 4 and 6, City Clerk as qualifying officer, campaign report dates, January 10, 2028 start of terms
- Budget Documents, City of Orlando https://www.orlando.gov/Our-Government/Records-and-Documents/Financial/Budget-Documents Used for: October 1 to September 30 fiscal year, adopted FY27 budget, September 14 and 28, 2026 hearings, nearly $1.9 billion budget
- Board of County Commissioners, Orange County https://www.ocfl.net/BoardofCommissioners.aspx Used for: seven-member board, four-year overlapping terms, election years by district, county mayor elected at large
- Orange County Mayor, Orange County https://www.ocfl.net/BoardofCommissioners/Mayor.aspx Used for: Mayor Jerry L. Demings, sworn in December 4, 2018, reelected 2022, 8,000 employees, $7 billion budget, office address and phone
- Orange County Supervisor of Elections https://www.ocfelections.gov/ Used for: Supervisor Karen Castor Dentel, early voting October 19 to November 1, 821,072 active voters as of October 14, 2026
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