DOGE audits of local governments 'are not going to go away,' Florida CFO says

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said Tuesday that he is going to continue to hold local governments accountable when it comes to spending.

"These audits are not going to go away. If it warrants, we will come back to every county 234 times if we have to," Ingoglia said during a press conference in front of the Robert Weisman Governmental Center in West Palm Beach. "I as CFO, I am committed to making sure that we're holding local governments accountable when it comes to fiscal responsibility."

WATCH BELOW: 'What I'm looking for right now from DOGE, is a roadmap of where we go in the future,' Palm Beach County Mayor Maria G. Marino tells WPTV's Joel Lopez

The CFO said that over the last five years, the state has noticed that local governments have "greatly expanded" their budgets.

“The budget that is funded by your property taxes, have gone up anywhere between 60% to 120%," Ingoglia said. "Now, when you go back pre-COVID and you start factoring in inflation and population growth, those budgets should not have exploded anywhere near where they're exploding right now.“

WPTV reporter Joel Lopez spoke with Palm Beach County Mayor Maria G. Marino regarding the county's budget and she said she is not nervous about the DOGE audits. She acknowledged that the county has a large budget, that consists of 1,300 pages, but that the ad valorem taxes that are generated from the budget fund law enforcement.

"A good almost 50% of that goes to our sheriff," Marino said. "So, we spend our ad valorem dollars on public safety."

Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers agrees with that sentiment and told WPTV's Jon Shainman that funding the agency should be a priority for St. Lucie County.

"CFO Blaise Ingoglia has sent a pretty clear message that we're going to fund law enforcement, we're going fund first responders and then after that, all the other projects can be funded,” Flowers said of the DOGE audits. “It’s just my opinion that the county is not doing that. They're spending frivolously.”

Property tax concerns were also mentioned during Tuesday's meeting.

WATCH BELOW: Florida CFO's remarks on DOGE audits of local governments

“Affordability is a big issue for me, as well as the governor. We're going to try to make the state as affordable as possible and with that needs to come a property tax cut," Ingoglia said. "So, the idea of these audits are get on site, start shining a light on wasteful spending, things that local governments shouldn't be entering contracts on or doing.”

After state lawmakers failed to approve tax relief for Florida homeowners during an extended session back in June, Ingoglia brought up the issue during Tuesday's meeting.

"The biggest defensive measure is to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot and the voters can vote for a property tax relief," he said. "The governor and I have been pushing very hard for the elimination of homestead property taxes."

Marino said eliminating property taxes is not a good idea and is not sustainable long-term.

"I know that everybody thinks that getting rid of property taxes is a good idea, but those property taxes fund your first responders, they fund your police, they fund your fire, they fund those people that help us in an emergency," she said. "If there's no other way to have that revenue, I don't know how we do that in the future."

WATCH BELOW: What DOGE is looking at in Palm Beach County

Tuesday's meeting comes a week after Ingoglia spelled out what the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) teams expect to accomplish while looking through county books.

According to a letter to Palm Beach County, co-signed by Ingoglia, auditors are also looking at county spending related to the Green New Deal, including purchases of battery-electric vehicles (EVs), EV infrastructure, and solar power systems.

WPTV's Investigative Reporter Dave Bohman learned that Mounts Botanical Garden, a nonprofit receiving county funds, was singled out in the letter to the county.

Auditors are asking for “all actions taken in support of the policy for diversity and inclusion at Mounts Botanical Garden.”

Bohman went to Mounts Botanical Garden on Monday for a comment on the DOGE audit and staffers declined.

When WPTV reporter Joel Lopez asked the CFO about government positions and spending in Palm Beach County, Ingoglia said he would not identify specific areas but noted that there are "some areas of opportunities" and that "voters in Palm Beach County would agree" that some of the funds being used are "probably not the best use of taxpayer dollars."

Marino said she hopes to get some direction.

"What I'm looking for right now from DOGE, is a roadmap of where we go in the future," she said.

The state’s Department of Financial Services said DOGE audit results are expected in about two months after the state is done with their review.