As Central Florida’s population grows, so do the operating costs for Orange County government, which has budgeted $6.7 billion for fiscal year 2023-24, about 8.4% more than last year.

The county’s property tax rate remains the same for a 16th consecutive year, though revenues will be about 12.5% higher because of new construction on the tax rolls and climbing property values.

“We have the lowest tax rate of county populations over 1 million people,” Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings said in a foreword to the 388-page budget approved unanimously by commissioners.

The new fiscal year begins Sunday.

The spending plan has $800 million committed to public safety and $100 million to transportation.

The budget also includes 155 new positions across county government’s many departments, including 56 new jobs in Orange County Fire/Rescue and 34 more sworn deputies for the Sheriff’s Office.

The county is “growing west and east,” Kurt Petersen, the county’s budget manager, said in explaining the need for the two largest public safety divisions to add firefighters and deputies.

The spending plan is funded by myriad revenue sources, including a property tax projected to bring in about $904 million to the main budget account —  $98 million more than in fiscal year 2022-23.

Orange County commissioners voted unanimously Sept. 21 to adopt the budget.

Their budget hearings were held in July.

Public safety, affordable housing top Orange County budget priorities

The tax will cost the owner of a home in unincorporated Orange County about $4.43 for each $1,000 of taxable value. For example, the owner of a $400,000 home in unincorporated Orange County with $50,000 in homestead exemptions would pay about $1,552 in property tax plus $290 for solid-waste services, an increase of $30 from last year.

Most homeowners will pay more because property values increased.

Countywide taxable values grew from $181.7 billion to about $204 billion.

In a message posted on the county’s website, Demings highlighted funding for affordable housing programs, mental health services and other programs dubbed “pillars of government focus.”

The budget has $136 million allocated for housing, including money rolled over from last year. That includes boosting a locally controlled affordable housing fund by $14.4 million.

About $34 million is available in the new fiscal year for mental and behavioral health services for adults and children, part of an effort to plug a wide funding gap identified by a study last year.

At least $49 million needed to fill gaps in Orange’s ‘broken’ mental health system, review finds

While voters last year rejected a proposed penny-per-dollar sales tax to build a robust transit network, the budget provides what Demings described as “an interim plan…to move us forward.”

The mayor said the county will fund projects intended to make roads and sidewalks safer, spending $15 million to install 131 miles of roadway lighting and $25 million to build 25 miles of sidewalks.

The budget also earmarks money for Lynx to upgrade shelters and bus frequency.

“This interim plan does not come close to fully addressing our $21 billion in transportation needs, but it does take a step forward by focusing on some of the immediate needs for transportation,” he said.

shudak@orlandosentinel.com