ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia fired back Thursday at Ken Welch after the St. Petersburg mayor dismissed state criticism of city spending, accusing Welch of missing the bigger fiscal picture.
In a post on X, Ingoglia challenged Welch directly, writing: “QUESTION for [Mayor Ken Welch]: How much rotting infrastructure, broken sewer lines and flooding problems could you have already fixed if you didn’t waste the $49M last year on bureaucrats?”
The CFO’s message was part of a broader post slamming local government budgets he said have ballooned at the expense of taxpayers.
The post underscored Ingoglia’s contention that officials like Welch have failed to address what his office defines as unnecessary expense, part of ongoing reviews by the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight, or FAFO, that have flagged millions in spending across municipalities.
FAFO audits have shown St. Petersburg’s general fund budget growing far faster than population in recent years, a point Ingoglia has emphasized repeatedly.
Ingoglia has made fiscal accountability a hallmark of his tenure since being appointed CFO in mid-2025 and is campaigning this year for a full four-year term. His social media critique of Welch reflects a broader push to spotlight what he calls “excessive” spending and to push for property tax relief for Floridians.