St. Petersburg will undergo an on-site review by state-appointed auditors Wednesday and Thursday. It may not be their last visit.
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, who oversees the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said he had a “chilling message” Monday for local governments: “Cities and counties should not make the mistake to think this is a short-term thing.”
Ingoglia addressed the media outside of the Hillsborough County Center building in Tampa, where the DOGE team continued its local visits. The state appointees conducted on-site reviews of Pinellas County’s finances late last week.
“I’m not going away,” Ingoglia said. “If I’m blessed to be in this job position for nine years, you can rest assured that I’m going to be continuing these audits. So, if we miss something on the first go around, we’re going to get it on the second and third go around.”
In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis launched Florida’s DOGE, designed to mirror the much-maligned federal version. Sunsetting 70 boards and commissions, cutting 900 positions, requiring universities to undergo independent reviews and identifying unnecessary spending using artificial intelligence (AI) were among the stated goals.
However, many of the myriad specific requests in letters sent to Pinellas County and St. Petersburg encompass diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the “Green New Deal,” grants and government-owned properties.
Ingoglia said DOGE has “heard of instances” where local officials have changed “keywords on contracts from diversity, equity or inclusion to something else.” That “makes it harder to find” when the team conducts an AI search.
“So, if there’s any local government employees out there, do not listen to your bosses,” Ingoglia added. “Do not change anything, because one of the things we have at our disposal are subpoenas.”
He said digital forensics experts from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement would discern who made the changes. Ingoglia believes local officials “are afraid that I and the DOGE team are going to find some of this spending.”
In a prepared statement, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said the city will “fully cooperate” with DOGE and provide “any additional information or clarification as requested.”
The letters state that DeSantis charged DOGE with finding excessive and reckless spending. The correspondence and in-person visits coincide with his calls to eliminate property taxes.
Ingoglia said general fund expenditures, supported by increasing property values, have increased by 60% to 120% statewide over the past five years. Pinellas County’s letter pegged the number at 43%.
However, Commission Chair Brian Scott replied that the accurate calculation was 37%, and nearly half of the general fund supports the sheriff’s office. His letter, dated Aug. 6, also noted that state-mandated costs associated with the Florida Retirement System’s enhancements have increased general fund expenditures.
“Pinellas County commissioners, if they did bring that up, have a good, valid point,” Ingoglia said Monday. “Contextualizing is fine. We will ask those questions when appropriate.”
Property taxes account for 73% of St. Petersburg’s general fund. Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick noted that roughly 80% of the district’s budget stems from those revenues, and the state sets its millage rate.
While he welcomes debate over funding sources, Hendrick believes “local control has to still be there.” Ingoglia pledged that November 2026 ballots would feature a constitutional amendment related to property taxes.
Although he is unsure of what the state will ask voters to approve, Ingoglia said, “There is going to be property tax relief.” He expects local officials to say changes will require cuts to essential services.
“I don’t want to hear from local governments saying they’re going to cut any fire and any police, because those are the first things they should be taking care of,” Ingoglia continued. “When local governments say that they cannot cut, we’re going to show them places that they can cut.”
Ingoglia said the state could impose a $1,000 daily fine for each missing document that DOGE requested. Scott told the Catalyst that Pinellas officials prepared “tens of thousands of pages.”
The state could charge taxpayer-funded local governments $20,000 daily for 20 missing items. Ingoglia said DOGE could not force officials to make recommended cuts, and it is up to voters to hold them accountable.
The state can withhold critical funding, and DeSantis has a history of removing local officials who do not comply with his directives. Ingoglia and the governor plan to create an anonymous tip line for government employees or citizens to report perceived financial missteps.
“But as of right now, it is a lot of messages and tagging us on social media,” Ingoglia said. “Or articles that have been written by local press, and those are giving us the areas to look for.”
According to Ingoglia, those efforts have been successful. “We have had a couple of very productive weeks,” he said. “We’re finding pretty egregious examples of waste, fraud and abuse.”
Ingoglia noted it would take roughly 60 days to complete auditing reports. “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,” Welch said.
