PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Florida's chief financial officer said Thursday that an audit by his office revealed $344 million in overspending by Palm Beach County government. He said this dollar amount is a direct result of rising property tax collections.
"That is the biggest number we have seen in the state of Florida this year," Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia said during a Thursday news conference in West Palm Beach.
WATCH BELOW: Florida CFO accuses Palm Beach Co. of $344 million in overspending
Ingoglia's effort, named the Florida Agency on Fiscal Oversight, has so far examined the budgets of 11 cities and counties across Florida as his office looks to reel in property taxes.
Currently, Republicans in the State Capitol are working to rein in property taxes, which is a priority for 2026, with several bills filed.
Overall, he said the audits have uncovered $1.9 billion in overspending, describing it as "excessive" and "bloated."
Ingoglia said the audits used budgets from 2019-20 as a baseline and then indexed for inflation and population growth to come up with the overspending figures.
"They're going to try and refute our numbers," Ingoglia said.
"Almost every jurisdiction we have gone into has tried to refute our numbers. They can't. We have teams of auditors, teams of CPA's going over these numbers, and I'm going to tell you these numbers are absolutely solid."
The CFO acknowledged that Palm Beach County officials have been receptive to his investigation, and the county's deputy administrator said they are working on ways to trim spending while also trying to maintain services that citizens need.
"Really looking at where we can tighten things up and create some efficiencies, we're doing that today," Palm Beach County Deputy Administrator Todd Bonlarron told WPTV on Wednesday.
Ingoglia said his numbers show that cutting the $344 million from the county's spending would roughly save homeowners, on average, about $300 a year in property taxes.
"They should know I'm going to cheer them on," he said when asked about Palm Beach County leaders. "On behalf of the taxpayers to hold government accountable, make it small and cost less."
Palm Beach County released the following statement regarding the state audit:
"Palm Beach County has lowered the millage rate twice in the last four years, returning more than $284.8 million in tax relief to residents. During that same period, property tax revenue increased largely because of growth in the tax base, not because of higher tax rates. From FY 2019 to FY 2026, total property tax revenue increased by $645 million. More than $420 million of that increase was required to fund the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, a constitutionally independent agency whose budget the County is obligated to support. The remaining growth was distributed across more than 30 departments that provide essential county services. When adjusted for population growth, mandated public safety costs, and inflation, county departmental spending has remained below inflationary trends while still meeting service demands.
The state's calculation of "wasteful spending" relies on using FY 2019–2020 as a baseline year. That year preceded the pandemic, the surge in population, and the significant rise in operational costs faced by all Florida local governments. Using that year as a fixed benchmark does not reflect the actual costs of providing public safety, infrastructure, and essential services in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state.
Since taking office, County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo has already implemented new cost-saving efficiencies, including a new data-driven budgeting process; partnering with OpenGov to improve operational efficiency and transparency; shifting to merit-based compensation to better control personnel costs; and providing the Board of County Commissioners with long-term budget scenarios to strengthen fiscal planning. We continue to work collaboratively with the Florida CFO’s Office and DOGE, and remain committed to delivering the most efficient and effective government possible while maintaining the essential services our residents expect."
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