Largo presents strategic plan aiming for a "community of choice" by 2030

Cheryl Reed, director of the Community Development Department, presented Largo's updated strategic plan to the Planning Board on May 7, saying the city now has “our vision for 2,030.”

The plan, Reed said, builds on the 2017 strategic plan and results of multiple outreach efforts dating to 2021, including an Energage employee survey and targeted follow-up with underrepresented groups. Reed described four pillars for the plan: sustainability and resilience; public health and safety; community pride; and organizational excellence. She told the board the plan will inform the 2027 budget process and is available on the city's website.

Board members asked about timing and outreach. Reed said staff relied on existing survey data (17 prior documents) to avoid resident fatigue, supplemented internal employee feedback through Energage, and conducted targeted outreach to Spanish speakers and east-side neighborhoods where representation had been low. Reed acknowledged a gap in public-health-specific feedback and said staff performed follow-up outreach to better understand public-safety and health concerns.

Why it matters: Reed said the plan is intended to guide department-level operations and budget decisions rather than sit as a symbolic document. Several board members welcomed the update as a practical foundation for upcoming capital and programmatic choices.

What's next: Staff will share materials through the city's communications channels and continue to align department budgets and priorities to the plan ahead of the 2027 budget deliberations.