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Orlando, Florida

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Budget Y
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Meetings Y
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Elected Officials Y
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Administrative Officials Y
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Permits, zoning Y
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Audits Y
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Contracts P
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Lobbying P
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Public records P
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Local taxes N
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Transparency grading process
Orlando is a city in Florida and the county seat of Orange County. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Orlando had a population of 238,300, making it the state's fifth most populous city.[1]

Incorporated in 1875 on an area of 4 square miles and officially made a city in 1885, Orlando is now -- on an area of approximately 100 square miles -- the famous home of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando.[2] [3]

Website Transparency

The good

  • Budget is published.[4]
  • Commissioners are listed with contact information. Meeting schedule, agenda, and minutes are available.[5]
  • Administrative officials are listed with contact information.[6]
  • Available bids are listed through the Purchasing and Materials Management Division. Awarded, cancelled, deleted and active contracts are mentioned and details are provided.[7]
  • Annual financial audits are published.[8]
  • Building permits[9] and zoning information is provided.[10]
  • Links to public record including state statutes are included.[11]

The bad

Elected Officials

Orlando operates under a strong-mayor governing model in which the voter-elected mayor serves as the executive body and the city council, also elected by voters, serves a legislative function.[14] The city council is composed of six commissioners elected at-large to serve four year terms.

Miami's current mayor is Buddy Dyer, who has been in office since 2003.[15] City commissioners, all non-partisan, as of June 2011:[16]

Commissioner District 1st Yr. Elected
Phil Diamond District 1 2002
Tony Ortiz District 2 2008
Robert F. Stuart District 3 2006
Patty Sheehan District 4 2000
Daisy W. Lynum District 5 1998
Samuel B. Ings District 6 2006

According to the proposed 2009-10 city budget, commissioners would earn $49,383 annually. Each commissioner has a different district budget, however. For instance, Stuart's is $22,539 but Ings's is $48,679 and Lynum's is $45,671. Ings and Lynum have the highest district budgets. All other budgets are under $20,000 per year.[17]

Expenditures per district rose during the 2010-11 fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year. The increase in expenditures, respective of each district: 5.37%, 6.43%, 10.87%, 5.47%, 8.70%, 1.17%[18]

Lobbying

Main articles: Florida government sector lobbying and Florida League of Cities.

Orlando has reported more than $675,000 spent on lobbying since 2000 (see table).

Reported lobbying expenditures, 2000-2010 [19]
Year Amount spent on lobbying
2010 $80,000
2009 $90,000
2008 $85,000
2007 $80,000
2006 $80,000
2005 $20,000
2004 $40,000
2003 $80,000
2002 $80,000
2001 $40,000
2000 Less than $10,000

Orlando pays membership dues[20] to the Florida League of Cities, a government sector lobbying association.

External links

References

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