The state’s DOGE auditors are in St. Petersburg to inspect the city’s finances in an effort to monitor spending and taxation at the local level. FOX 13’s Matthew McClellan reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – State-appointed auditors will go inside St. Petersburg City Hall on Wednesday for the first of a two-day review of city spending, part of the Florida Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) ongoing audits of local governments.
During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, protesters chanted, “Watch what they do, not what they say,” as Florida’s CFO Blaise Ingoglia finished speaking about the DOGE audit.Â
The press conference turned tense minutes earlier as Ingoglia raised his voice above the crowd and said, “You guys can talk as long and as loud as you want but I am hell-bent on talking about property tax reform.”
He said a survey showed that 70 percent of people polled supported property tax relief.
Ingoglia also said DOGE isn’t targeting anyone in particular, but everyone, adding that every local government is wasting money.
When they start going through the data, Ingoglia said he believes the auditors will find items that are not a good use of taxpayer money.
He said he would not give specific examples at this point because there are other counties and cities that have not yet been audited, and he feared that they will hide those items ahead of an audit if they know what the items are.
He told the auditors they need to review the documents as if they are police reviewers and if they see something that doesn’t look right, they need to investigate to find waste, fraud and abuse.
The people doing the audits are already on the state budget, but he said his goal is to get a report out to the taxpayers in about 60 days.
Ingoglia did not give a specific answer when asked how much Florida DOGE is costing but said the auditors were already being paid by the state.
The backstory:
In a letter sent earlier this month, DOGE told the city it wants documentation and explanations in several areas. The records under scrutiny range from contracts, employee compensation, and grant management to utilities, transportation, and homeless services.
The request also includes more in-depth questions on “Green New Deal” and sustainability projects, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
PREVIOUS: Gov. DeSantis, Ingoglia announce DOGE audits of local government spending to begin July 31
Auditors have asked to meet with four city employees whose jobs focus on equity, diversity, sustainability, and resilience.
The letter says St. Petersburg taxpayers have seen their annual property tax burden climb by more than 75% in the past six years and calls the city’s spending “excessive.”
RELATED: St. Pete’s MLK parade keeps city funding despite concerns over Florida DOGE audit
The other side:
State Rep. Michele Rayner (D-St. Petersburg) criticized the review as “political retaliation” rather than fiscal oversight. Gov. Ron DeSantis defended DOGE’s work, saying, “Clearly a lot of taxpayers are seeing that they are paying more in property taxes than they ever have before, and where is that money going?”
In a statement on Aug. 4, Mayor Ken Welch said, “We will address any questions that may arise from the state’s process and move forward with clarity and accountability in the best interest of the residents of St. Petersburg.”
DOGE has conducted similar audits in other Florida cities and counties in recent weeks. The St. Pete review continues through Thursday.
What’s next:
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia plans to give an update on the DOGE audit in St. Pete on Wednesday at 12:45 p.m.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Matthew McClellan.