Governor Ron DeSantis and CFO Blaise Ingoglia Highlight Excessive Local Government Spending Uncovered by Florida DOGE Audits
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ~ Jacksonville, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia have joined forces to expose examples of wasteful spending in cities and counties across the state. The Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been conducting investigations in 12 jurisdictions to identify waste, fraud, and abuse, as well as opportunities for improvement. Today, they have revealed some of their findings from these visits and data requests sent to all 411 municipalities and 67 counties in Florida.

According to Governor DeSantis, the DOGE teams have been looking into cities and counties where taxpayers have raised concerns about wasteful spending. The audits have uncovered numerous instances of irresponsible use of taxpayer funds. The governor stated that it is unacceptable for local governments to raise taxes on Floridians in order to subsidize such wasteful spending. He also reassured citizens that under his leadership, they can expect fiscal responsibility at the state level.

Through reviews of local governments in partnership with CFO Blaise Ingoglia's office, Florida DOGE has discovered several concerning examples:

- The City of Jacksonville paid $75,000 for a "hologram" of Mayor Donna Deegan to greet travelers at Jacksonville International Airport in multiple languages. They also spent $7.5 million on a 1-mile sidewalk project, which was nearly eight times the average estimate by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Additionally, they gave $1.9 million in grants to DEI-focused arts groups.

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- The City of Pensacola pays $150,000 annually to a management company that brings drag shows to the city's Seanger Theater. They also spent $300,000 on an equity-focused strategic plan and residential "equity survey."

- The City of Gainesville pays its City Director of Equity and Inclusion a salary of $189,000 and has prioritized divisive employee indoctrination on the subjects of race and identity over essential activities to serve residents.

- The City of Orlando has spent $460,000 since 2020 to count trees as part of the city's "tree inventory." They have also allocated $150,000 over three years to help illegal immigrants evade deportation.

- The City of St. Petersburg has used $258,000, including funds from the city's utility and EMS funds, to support Pride events. They have also spent $307,000 on a climate action plan to promote Green New Deal initiatives.

- Alachua County paid $31,000 to Planned Parenthood for "Teen Time," a program designed for children as young as 13 years old.

- Orange County has spent $223,000 for LGBT youth services that promote gender ideology to youth populations. They have also paid $240,000 to a left-wing urban planning firm that carries out its activities from a "race, social, and healthy equity perspective."

- Hillsborough County has allocated $572,000 for training county employees about their so-called "unconscious bias." They also provide $950,000 for county employee vehicle allowances with very little transparency.

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- Pinellas County spends $75,000 every year to sponsor an annual "Pride" festival.

- Broward County has spent $890,000 on DEI training since FY 2020. This includes training that promotes gender fluidity and transgender ideology. They have also spent $175,000 on creating virtual art in the Metaverse and $44,000 to support a UN treaty promoting gender equity that seeks to compel Americans to accept gender quotas and unequal treatment in service of supposedly-equal "outcomes."

These are just a few examples of the wasteful spending identified by Florida DOGE across the state.

CFO Blaise Ingoglia stated that Floridians have made it clear that they will no longer tolerate waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. He has personally traveled the state to expose nearly $1 billion in wasted taxpayer dollars across just five local governments. Ingoglia also pointed out that while local governments claim to be financially struggling, they continue to spend wastefully on things like "counting trees." He emphasized that taxpayers are tired of it, which is why property tax relief is their top concern. The CFO was proud to stand with Governor DeSantis and expose some of the wasteful line items in local government budgets.

Florida has been a leader in fiscal responsibility nationally. Under Governor DeSantis' tenure, the state has paid down nearly 50% of its total historic tax-supported debt and has maxed-out the rainy-day fund. Florida also maintains the lowest ratio of state government workers to population among all states, with only 96 full-time employees per 10,000 residents. Additionally, the governor's signing of the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget marks the second consecutive year of a year-over-year reduction in state spending.

For updates on the Florida DOGE initiative, visit @DOGEfla on X.

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