PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County Administrator Joe Abruzzo is demanding proof from Florida's Chief Financial Officer after being accused of $344 million in wasteful spending, calling the claims irresponsible and warning that proposed cuts would cripple government services.
In December, Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia claimed Palm Beach County wasted more money than any other local government in the state. But Abruzzo told the Palm Beach County North Chamber of Commerce on Friday that no documentation supports the figure.
WATCH BELOW: County official disputes $344M waste claim from state
"There is no fraud, waste and abuse," Abruzzo said.
WPTV caught up with the county administrator on Friday, who expressed frustration over what he calls unsubstantiated allegations that could lead to devastating budget cuts from Tallahassee.
Six weeks ago, Ingoglia made headlines with his bombshell accusation against Palm Beach County.
"I'm going to tell you these numbers are absolutely solid," Ingoglia said on Dec. 4.
But Abruzzo disputes the claim, saying the CFO's office has provided no evidence to support the $344 million figure.
"Well, the number that the CFO is throwing out. There's no documentation," Abruzzo said.
Seeking answers, Abruzzo wrote to Ingoglia on Dec. 11 asking how the office calculated the alleged overspending.
"And right now we are hearing crickets. They do not, it seems, to have any information to provide to us on how they came to this number," Abruzzo said.
Chamber head Noel Martinez warned that if Florida forces Palm Beach County to make drastic budget cuts, small businesses will bear the burden.
"Things get more expensive. We're starting to pay more fees. I mean that's going to end up, the business community is going to end up paying for that," Martinez said.
CFO spokesperson Sydney Booker responded to Abruzzo's criticism, saying: "Sadly, the county administrator of a major county is unable to differentiate between the General Fund and the Capital Improvement Fund (infrastructure), even though it is clearly outlined in his own budget book. If Abruzzo spent more time scrutinizing his own spending and less time criticizing the CFO, he could find meaningful ways to provide tax relief to the residents and business owners who call Palm Beach County home."
Abruzzo fired back after our story aired Friday evening, texting to WPTV: "If scrutinizing spending were the issue, the CFO would welcome transparency instead of deflecting. Palm Beach County residents deserve honest accounting, not political talking points. Construction costs, insurance, steel, concrete, and hurricane-rated infrastructure have exploded statewide, pretending otherwise doesn't create tax relief, it creates misinformation. Accountability starts with facts, not finger-pointing."
The escalating war of words highlights growing tensions between local governments and state oversight efforts, with both sides claiming to champion taxpayer interests while accusing the other of political gamesmanship.
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