Miami candidates react to Florida DOGE analysis of city spending

After CFO Blaise Ingoglia reported that Miami is $94 million over budget this year, some running for elected City Hall jobs say changes need to be made and are arguing they’re the ones voters should trust to make them.

That includes multipole candidates for Mayor: Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, former City Manager Emilio González and former Commissioner Ken Russell, the former two of whom agreed with the findings of Florida DOGE’s audit of the “Magic City.”

Higgins, who carries an endorsement from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, said Miami needs “an outsider” to fix the problem, not a “City Hall insider” who will perpetuate the problem.

That last bit could be a backhanded reference to González, who helped steer Miami’s spending for a few years through early 2020, before Ingoglia said city spending ballooned by 44% over a half-decade.

“As I said at last week’s debate and since the day I announced my campaign, the city of Miami’s chaos and corruption has left taxpayers paying for more while getting less in services. This isn’t a this-year problem either, it goes back years,” she said in a statement.

“Voters can deliver change and reform by electing an outsider with the experience and courage to go deeper into the finances, complete comprehensive audits and bring transparency once and for all to city hall. As Mayor, I not only promise to do just that, I will get it done. Period.”

González, who is running with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ support, applauded Ingoglia for “exposing the excess (and standing) up for taxpayers across Florida.” He noted that the sum Ingoglia said Miami overspends is “almost identical to what Miami collects each year in property taxes from homesteaded homeowners — roughly 7% of the city’s entire budget.”

“That tells us everything we need to know: The money is there,” he said in a statement. “What is missing is responsible leadership. By cutting waste and demanding accountability, we can eliminate property taxes for homesteaded homeowners — giving real relief to the people who call Miami home.”

Eliminating ad valorem taxes on homesteaded properties, with a carve-out for continued school funding, is among eight proposals House leadership filed last week. DeSantis criticized the bill package on Wednesday as confusing and “not a serious attempt to get it done for the people.” Speaker Daniel Perez, who represents parts of Miami-Dade County in the House, retorted Thursday that the proposals provide specificity to an issue on which the Governor has remained vague.

Russell, who left the City Commission to run for Congress, called Ingoglia’s Thursday presser “performative” and a “campaign event for Emilio González.”

“Miami residents will vote for a Mayor who balances our budget and fights for home rule. Not hand it to the Governor,” he said on X.

Russell has long described City Hall operations as corrupt. He vowed to tackle the issue in March, when he launched his mayoral campaign.

“Imagine Miami meeting its true potential with good policy and governance,” he said at the time.

Candidate Rolando Escanola, one of eight candidates running for the District 3 seat on the Miami Commission, included responsible budgeting as a platform pillar. In a statement, he said Ingoglia’s news conference “confirms why it’s time to end the corruption and control by the same City Hall insiders and political dynasties controlling Miami.”

That was a knock on the one person leading Escalona in District 3 fundraising: former City Commissioner Frank Carollo, who is running to succeed his brother Joe on the dais — a move, if successful, that could result in the Carollo family controlling the seat for two decades straight.

“It’s costing us too much, and District 3 voters are fed up with the abuse of power coming from their elected leaders,” Escalona said. “I am running to bring fresh leadership and a generation of change to City Hall. It will start with throwing out the existing budget and starting from zero. We can no longer risk the same entrenched insiders and failed political candidates governing — the time for change is NOW.”
Miami’s General Election is Nov. 4. Early voting begins Saturday.

If no candidate tops 50% in a race, the top two advance to a Dec. 9 runoff.