A Hillsborough County committee tasked with investigating wasteful spending is still waiting for a full state audit, but it might still start targeting some areas of government spending. This comes as members met on Monday to discuss the issue.
Hillsborough leaders formed the DOGE committee after the state's new chief financial officer, Blaise Ingoglia, said the county's general fund jumped more than 56% since 2019.
Ingoglia used the preliminary audit to push for Gov. Ron DeSantis' moves to cut property taxes.
ALSO READ: Florida DOGE audit claims Hillsborough overspent nearly $279 million
But county officials say much of that increase is for police and fire protection. And much of it went to departments whose budgets are not controlled by the county.
Tom Fessler, Hillsborough's chief financial administrator, said the number of county employees has actually decreased since 2007.
"So we're still 371 positions less than we were in fiscal year '07, or a decrease of 5.6%," he said during Monday's meeting. "And that's while the population has grown over that period of time by about 30%."
An initial state report says Hillsborough "misspent" about $279 million since 2019.
County officials say much of the spending was necessary to keep up with rapid population growth.
The committee discussed cutting subsidies to the film industries and vehicle allowances for county employees.
Jake Hoffman, chair of the DOGE committee, questioned spending on programs like incentives for the film industry.
"Most of these are going to people who don't live in Hillsborough County. The companies aren't built, aren't in Hillsborough County. I don't even know if they film 10%, of the, you know, in Hillsborough County, so I think we should be highly critical of these film subsidies," he said.
County Administrator Bonnie Wise wrote a memo addressing some of Ingolia's concerns about county staffing levels.
"Those positions are associated with Constitutional Officers and outside Agencies funded by the County whose budgets we do not control," she wrote.
Wise said that over the past five years, the board has completed:
- Eight replacement fire stations
- Four new fire stations
- 16 new rescue ambulance units
- 161 new Fire Rescue positions (an increase of over 15%)
- Funding new Fire Union contracts that provide competitive wages for first responders
- Maintenance of disaster reserves even after a short-term cash flow need exceeding $200 million from the recent hurricanes
- 408,528 linear feet of sidewalk repaired
- 656 lane miles of road repaved
- 23 bridges repaired and rehabilitated
- 74,753 linear feet of culverts installed
- Completion of Citrus Park Drive, Apollo Beach Boulevard, Big Bend Interchange
- 64 new Sheriff’s Office positions.
