I would like to share some of the details of our just-completed Strategic Plan 2026-2031.  

With the financial help of Duke Energy, our team here at the city, along with the commissioners and residents of Apopka, have been collaborating for over six months (20+ planning sessions) to produce this document that can now be found on our city website.  

The five strategic focus areas include Quality of Life, Infrastructure and Transportation, Organizational Health, Economic Vitality and Safe and Healthy. Each strategic focus area has objectives and performance measures to quantify the results.  

Our strategic plan will align our vision, mission and core values with goals that can be measured. With general revenues and expenses just crossing the $100 million mark, we need to make sure that we are prioritizing what our community wants and needs.  

As background to our plan, some interesting statistics include: the median age of Apopka is 38.6, our average household size is 2.98 and our median household income is $102,697. 

One statistic that pleased me was our home ownership percentage, which is 75%, showing that Apopka has a true sense of community and is not a transient population. 

Our mission statement is clear and concise: “We deliver accessible, high-quality programs and services, ensure public safety, and strive to enhance the quality of life in our community.”  

Our aspirational vision statement is, “To be Central Florida’s most cherished hometown, celebrated for our vibrant community and beautiful natural environment.”  

The core values that we deem extremely important include Community-First, Accountable, Professional, and Committed which will help deliver on the promises to Apopka and its residents.  

The strategic plan is more successful when day-to-day decisions and actions have the plan always front and center. It begins with staff-level planning putting priorities into actionable steps with measurable objectives, timelines and committed responsibilities.  

Departments must develop work plans that align with the strategic plan to make sure that the daily operations support the long-termgoals and aspirations. The objectives must have timelines with defined roles to hold the team accountable, giving staff ownership to carry out the mission that is provided in this document.  

This approach will become the go-to document that all are decisions are based on, giving everyone clarity about our mission. I am proud of the staff who helped develop this plan and look forward to the implementation phase over the next five years.