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: Florida CFO discusses DOGE audits of local governments
The CFO said that over the last five years, post COVID, 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.“
Property tax concerns were also mentioned during Tuesday's meeting.
“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."
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."
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.
Read more of WPTV's related coverage below:
WPTV Investigates
What Florida DOGE auditors are targeting in Palm Beach County
State
