Frank Torres
On Thursday afternoon, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Orlando Professional Firefighters announced they are supporting Buddy Dyer in his bid for a fifth term as Orlando mayor. The organizations represent over 700 members of Orlando police officers and over 440 members of the Orlando Fire Department.
“We are proud to support Mayor Buddy Dyer because of his continued commitment to keeping our neighborhoods and families safe,” said Shawn Dunlap, President of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 25.
“Mayor Dyer’s opponents do not share his commitment to keeping Orlando safe. Mr. Paulson has shown his willingness to make deep cuts to our police and fire departments. Mr. Paulson’s reckless budget will put our families in danger,” said Dunlap.
Dunlap is talking about Dyer’s opponent, businessman and veteran Paul Paulson, who has pledged to rollback a 17.7% property tax increase passed by City Council last year. Dyer told Paulson during their last debate that he would be unable to keep that promise unless he made cuts to police and other public safety programs.
“The lives of Orlando’s residents depend on the investments Mayor Dyer has made in the police and fire department,” said Wayne G. Bernoska Jr., Vice President of Orlando Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 1365. “Mr. Paulson’s reckless budget would mean deep cuts to our police and fire departments and would put our families in danger.”
With election day less than a month away, Paulson and Dyer are both in full campaign mode with both operations spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to get their voters to the polls. Medical student “Sunshine” Linda Grund is also running.
