Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson highlighted a variety of improvements and the city’s 96% debt reduction during his annual State of the City address Friday at the Apopka Community Center.  

Nelson said the city has reduced the outstanding general fund debt by $16.1 million, or 96%, since fiscal year 2018.   

“I am proud of our entire team, because we have chipped away at our general fund debt… and the ongoing debt service has been reduced by $1.1 million since year 2022,” Nelson said to the crowd of more than 200, which included residents, professionals, entrepreneurs, dignitaries and community leaders. “That gives us additional dollars to invest in our community.”  

From finance and capital improvement projects to parks and recreation and community outreach, the State of the City touches upon the city’s progress within a year’s time and presents a forward-thinking approach to where the city is moving.  

The city population now stands at 66,580, with 22,046 units and an average of 3.02 people per household.   

For the 2025-26 fiscal year, the city was able to set aside $30.2 million to its rainy-day fund, which equates to a 28% reserve ratio, Nelson said.  

He also said the city’s tax base has increased over $1 billion, providing an additional $2.6 million in ad valorem tax revenue.  

The city has budgeted the following in the 2025-26 fiscal year: $14.5 million for transportation improvements, $36.5 million for water reclaim, wastewater and infrastructure improvements, $2.3 million for street improvements, $8.3 million for public safety improvements, $4.4 million for community development and the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), and $5 million for recreation improvements.  

Among the several projects in the city’s ongoing flood mitigation efforts is the reception of a total of $6.25 million in grants to establish a pump station to transfer excess water from the lakes in the city’s Piedmont-Wekiwa area and transfer to the Cleveland Street plant for treatment and reuse as reclaimed water.  

On public safety, Nelson cited Apopka Police Department data showing a 26% decrease in violent and property crime and a 6% reduction in total vehicle crashes. He also recognized the new police chief, Lovetta Quinn-Henry, who took her oath of office in October.  

Nelson also praised the Apopka Fire Department for achieving its 21st consecutive ISO Class 1 rating, which means residents could get lower property insurance costs. Given by Insurance Services Office, an organization that reviews fire departments’ ability to protect communities, the ISO Class 1 rating is a distinction that less than 1% of fire departments nationwide get. 

Nelson spoke about the city’s continued economic growth, such as the expansions of Mullinax Ford and Live Trends, the latter which employs 550 people in Apopka. He spotlighted the Kelly Park interchange, planned to eventually have over 6,000 residential units, nearly 2 million square feet of commercial, about 1.6 million square feet of industrial, and over half a million square feet in medical space.  

“One of the highest anticipated projects is the Kelly Park interchange area, where our vision is to have residential, commercial, office and industrial in the same area, with the hope you’ll never have to get out of your vehicle to run errands,” Nelson said. 

Nelson also covered a range of community highlights from the last year, including the centennial celebration of Apopka City Hall, the grand opening of Apopka Fire Station No. 6 on Harmon Road, across the way from AdventHealth Apopka; and ribbon cuttings of the Apopka Action Sports Park next to the Fran Carlton Center, and the all-inclusive playground, which provides accessible play space at the Northwest Recreation Complex. 

“We have a lot to be proud of,” Nelson said. “Now, I need you to do your part and share the good news with our city.”  

In an interview after the speech, state Rep. Doug Bankson, R-District 39, a former city commissioner, expressed optimism in the city’s progress. He praised its growth and population of over 60,000 and fiscal management. 

“It’s good to see healthy reserves so that we can look at where we can invest those [funds],” Bankson said. “I love that we’re moving forward. I want to continue to see our roads, our all-inclusive playground. Absolutely love that. We are working on getting more funding for that this next year.”