John E. Dailey

Dailey's 2022 re-election campaign highlighted 5,000 new high-paying jobs created during his first term, and his administration supported expansion of Tallahassee International Airport, projected to generate nearly $1 billion in annual economic impact. In January 2025, Dailey proposed a $10 million airline incentive program to attract new carriers and stimulate passenger volume growth. However, the Florida Chamber of Commerce issued a less-than-stellar economic forecast for Leon County in early 2024, and critics questioned whether economic gains were broad-based, leaving the record mixed.

Dailey's administration launched a concrete workforce development initiative by partnering with Access Tallahassee to create a heavy equipment training program aimed at closing workforce gaps in road construction. The program offers three months of hands-on training with guaranteed job placement upon completion — reported to be the first program of its kind run by a Florida municipality. Despite this, broader critics and the Florida Chamber of Commerce questioned whether workforce development efforts kept pace with regional economic diversification needs through 2024.

In October 2019, Dailey championed a comprehensive ethics reform package passed by the City Commission that banned gifts to officials, strengthened financial disclosure requirements, and authorized fines for violations — hailed as some of the strongest ethics reforms in Tallahassee's history. He also supported creation of an Independent Inspector General's Office with whistleblower protections. However, Dailey later opposed expanding the Inspector General's jurisdiction to include city commissioners citing legal concerns, and critics and fellow commissioners accused him of blocking further reform discussions at commission meetings, producing a mixed overall record on the 'Clean Up City Hall' commitment.

Dailey's administration pursued economic expansion through multiple channels: supporting the Tallahassee International Airport expansion projected at nearly $1 billion in annual economic impact, proposing a $10 million airline incentive program in January 2025 to attract new carriers, and partnering with local organizations on workforce training programs. In February 2024, Dailey publicly pushed back against a less-than-stellar economic forecast from the Florida Chamber of Commerce, insisting the local economy was 'red-hot.' Critics, however, continued to raise concerns about economic diversification and the pace of broad-based job creation through the end of his second term.

Under Dailey's leadership, Tallahassee received its third 'All-America City' award in 2025, with the mayor credited for the Southside Action Plan, Clean Energy Plan, and park improvements. In May 2025, Ridge Road Flats — a 250-unit rent-restricted affordable housing complex for lower-income households — opened on Tallahassee's south side. However, housing insecurity continued to worsen into late 2025 per local service organizations, and the Citizens Police Review Board, a community quality-of-life and accountability mechanism, was disbanded by the City Commission in January 2025 with Dailey's support following state legislation. Dailey announced in August 2025 that he would not seek a third term, and is serving out the remainder of his term through November 2026.