St. Petersburg, FL – Florida’s Chief Financial Officer says a state analysis indicates St. Petersburg residents may have paid significantly more in property taxes than required over the past several years.
CFO Blaise Ingoglia announced that a review conducted by the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight found the city allegedly overcollected approximately $49 million in property taxes between fiscal years 2019 and 2026.
According to the report, St. Petersburg’s general fund grew by roughly $133 million during that time, an increase of nearly 50 percent, while the city’s population rose by about 11,500 residents.
The analysis concluded that spending growth exceeded what would normally be expected from inflation and population increases.
Ingoglia’s office said the city could have reduced its property tax rate by about 1.34 mills without cutting essential services.
Under that estimate, homeowners with a property assessed at $400,000 would have saved roughly $535 annually, while a $600,000 home could have seen savings of more than $800 per year.
The report also found that St. Petersburg added 371 full time city positions over six years.
Of those, approximately 65 were in public safety roles such as police, fire, or emergency medical services.
The remaining positions were spread across administrative and support departments, which the CFO’s office cited as a contributing factor to rising costs.
City officials strongly disputed the findings.
Mayor Ken Welch said the conclusions do not reflect the full scope of city services, infrastructure investments, or community priorities funded through the budget.
City leaders maintain that tax revenues were approved through the standard public budgeting process and used to meet growing demands.
The CFO’s review is part of a broader statewide effort examining local government spending and property tax policy.