CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — The City of Cape Coral received a report from the Florida Department of Government Efficiency with recommendations on staffing and procurement.
The review found no fraud, waste or illegal spending. The city received the DOGE report and recommendations on Oct. 16, according to a memo from City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn to Mayor John Gunter and council members.
The city began the review after Florida DOGE requested information on May 26.
During the review, the city said it provided DOGE with every requested document. This included 14 categories of records covering fiscal years 2024 through 2026, 339 posted documents and read-only access to the city’s financial and personnel systems.
DOGE found Cape Coral’s overall staffing “lean” and below the median of its dataset in full-time employees per 1,000 residents across many functions. The report estimates potential annual personnel savings of $3.8 million to $6.5 million, about 3.8% to 6.6% of the $99.1 million civilian base payroll reviewed.
The city said it already reduced staffing before DOGE’s letter arrived as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget adjustments presented at the final budget hearing on Sept. 10.
The city removed six vacant positions totaling $849,680.
City staff requested a meeting with the DOGE team to discuss and clarify questions regarding the recommendations.
“While DOGE described its recommendations as a starting point for the City to further assess some areas, we see the report as a useful outside look at our organization,” Ilczyszyn said in the memo.
The city said it is taking each recommendation seriously and will provide City Council with a detailed response to each.
The city will also post the responses on the DOGE page of its website, with completion expected by the end of October.