Your Local Government

Advisory boards, commissions, and authorities to which the Board of County Commissioners makes appointments are an integral part of the governmental process in Orange County and Central Florida. The volunteers who participate provide the Board with valuable insights and their service is greatly appreciated.

In November 1988, voters approved the creation of a new form of government for Orange County: a mayor elected by the community at large and the creation of six single-member districts. The mayor and commissioners serve on the Board of County Commissioners for overlapping four-year terms.

If effectively used, the county's budget serves as the primary tool in allocating our financial resources to programs and services. Specifically, the budget can serve as a policy making tool, a management tool, a financial tool, and a communication tool.

Orange County is a charter county, meaning it has its own constitution and is self-governing. Having a charter gives the county the ability to respond to a changing environment and meet local needs. The Charter Review Commission is appointed every four years, in January of the year prior to a presidential-election year.

There are six Orange County Government districts, and each falls within the jurisdiction of a County Commissioner. For a PDF depicting the borders of each district, view Orange County districts (1.97 MB). Another way to search the districts is to use InfoMap, our online mapping software.

Downtown Orange County provides a clearinghouse for official Orange County cmmunications in the International Drive area. The Administrative Office serves as a point of collaboration for identifying information to be communicated.

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners brings you this interactive mapping site as a public service. Software to run this service was acquired from Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) and Latitude Geographics Group, Ltd. The site is maintained by Orange County, which also supplies the equipment and other infrastructure required for its operation.

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners believes strongly that every action it takes at its meetings is public business, to be conducted in public view, with full disclosure and full public knowledge and awareness. Consequently, in 1994, the board enacted its lobbying ordinance to set forth the rules, requirements, and restrictions that apply to lobbyists and others who may try from time to time to influence board actions and decisions.

Orange County is one of seven counties recognized as comprising Central Florida. Our Local Government At A Glance page offers information about Orange County and other government organizations in Central Florida. The page includes these topics:

• Orange County Charter
• Orange County Board of County Commissioners
• Orange County Administration
• Cities in Orange County
• Elected Officials
• Additional Sites of Interest

Our County Calendar page allows you to search meeting notices for Orange County Government's public meetings.

The Orange County Office of Management and Budget defines Property Tax terminology and answers your frequently-asked questions.