Pinellas County is one of several local governments being targeted by the State of Florida for financial audits – but commissioners are calling out DOGE’s accounting. FOX 13’s Kellie Cowan reports.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Florida DOGE audits of local governments are getting underway, including in Pinellas County where commissioners are defending their spending and calling out the agency’s accounting.
What is Florida DOGE?
The backstory:
Earlier this year, the state launched its own Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), modeled after the federal government’s effort to find fraud, waste and abuse after President Donald Trump took office in January.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said a team composed of auditors and other staff from various state agencies will “conduct reviews of the data systems, physical premises and personnel of counties and cities that have thus far refused to cooperate with us to identify and report on any excessive spending patterns.”
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DeSantis and Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia have said they’re also evaluating how much governments are collecting in taxes, in addition to spending.
DOGE has sent letters to several local governments around the state, including Hillsborough, Pinellas and Manatee counties, along with the City of St. Petersburg.
Pinellas County audit
Local perspective:
Last week, DOGE sent a letter to the Pinellas County Commission, saying county expenditures jumped by 43% in the last five years.
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DOGE auditors sent the county nearly 80 specific requests for documented spending.
The state agency is also requesting information on all jobs related to DEI, along with documents related to the Green New Deal, electric vehicles, solar power, and carbon reduction initiatives.
The other side:
County commissioners responded with a letter of their own on Wednesday, saying the state’s figure isn’t accurate. According to that letter, the spending increase since 2020 is closer to 37% – a difference of more than $80 million.
Commissioners said increased spending has been primarily directed toward public safety, investment in critical infrastructure, and service delivery. The county broke down its $249 million increase into these categories:
$101 million toward sheriff’s operations$56 million for roads and bridges$74 million for one-time capital projects
The county also said it’s decreased its millage rate by 10%, and reduced its property tax rate in three of the past five years.
The Source: This story was written with information from the Pinellas County Commission and previous FOX 13 News reports.