{"id":108246,"date":"2025-07-31T18:48:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T18:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/108246\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T18:48:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T18:48:10","slug":"florida-doge-coming-to-jacksonville-to-report-on-excessive-spending-at-the-city-and-county-level-councilman-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/108246\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida DOGE coming to Jacksonville to \u2018report on excessive spending at the city and county level,\u2019 councilman says"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\"><strong>JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 Jacksonville Councilman Rory Diamond said Florida DOGE is coming to the city to \u201cidentify and report on excessive spending at the city and county level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Florida DOGE sent a letter to Mayor Donna Deegan\u2019s office on July 28 saying that Jacksonville was identified for further review and an on-site visit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The letter acknowledges that Jacksonville has taken steps to reduce millage rates on residents, but the letter alleges that property values have increased.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cRising property values have pushed annual property tax collections by over $400 million since 2020 &#8211; a 57% increase. This growing burden on property owners far outpaces inflation and the modest growth in population over that time,\u201d the letter reads in part.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Collected property taxes are based on the millage rate. The city council only sets the government rate, which is one rate for most of the city, and then lower rates for the beach cities and Baldwin, with Baldwin a little higher than the beaches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The beach cities and Baldwin have their own millage rates, set by their individual city governments, to pay for the city services they provide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Here are Jacksonville\u2019s millage rates since 2019:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\">\n<p>In 2019, the rate was 11.4419. It was held the same for 2020 and 2021.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\">\n<p>In 2022, it was reduced to 11.3169. It was held for 2023 and 2024. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\">\n<p>Proposed rate for 2025 holds it at 11.3169. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Property tax collections have gone up because property values have been skyrocketing. It is worth noting that if you\u2019re a residential homeowner who is homesteaded, your assessed value &#8211; the value that property taxes are based on &#8211; can\u2019t go up by more than 3% in a given year if you\u2019re in your same home. That protects homeowners from the rising values until they move.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Florida DOGE requested access to the city\u2019s physical premises, data systems, and personnel at City Hall and other local government locations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The letter says that the mayor\u2019s office has until Aug. 1 to reach out to Florida DOGE and the Office of Policy and Budget with an on-site contact for Aug. 7 and Aug. 8.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The mayor\u2019s office sent a statement in response to the Florida DOGE letter.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 bqJyUE iQviKm block-quote\">\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 ewwUYq\">The City of Jacksonville has been cooperating with Florida DOGE since their first request in March and will continue to do so.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 ewwUYq\">They will find that our city finances have been managed responsibly and prudently, which is how we\u2019ve held the number of non-public safety employees flat despite having one of the fastest growing populations in the country and the lowest millage rate by far of any major Florida city. It\u2019s also why the three major ratings agencies have issued a top tier AA+ or AA rating for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 ewwUYq\">The work to create a more efficient government has been underway since Mayor Deegan\u2019s first day in office. The time it takes for businesses to receive a permit has been cut in half, and more than 284,000 staff hours have been saved through our 904LEAN initiative that drives process improvements.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 ewwUYq\">We welcome any financial evaluation not driven by partisanship or political gamesmanship.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Donna Deegan&#8217;s Office<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Councilman Matt Carlucci released a statement about Florida DOGE coming to Jacksonville.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 bqJyUE iQviKm block-quote\">\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 ewwUYq\">State auditors are welcome to review our books. Jacksonville has the best auditing teams and budget office in the State of Florida, and we already undergo a full audit every year. I am confident they\u2019ll walk away giving us an A+.<\/p>\n<p>Councilman Matt Carlucci<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><b>What led up to this?<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Florida DOGE was introduced in February by Governor Ron DeSantis to review and improve the state government\u2019s efficiency by helping streamline the Florida government and \u201celiminate unnecessary bureaucracy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news4jax.com\/news\/local\/2025\/04\/07\/councilman-wants-desantis-doge-team-to-audit-jacksonvilles-finances-the-city-calls-it-a-waste-of-taxpayer-resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.news4jax.com\/news\/local\/2025\/04\/07\/councilman-wants-desantis-doge-team-to-audit-jacksonvilles-finances-the-city-calls-it-a-waste-of-taxpayer-resources\/\">Councilman Terrance Freeman filed a resolution in April<\/a> to voluntarily request Florida DOGE to review the city\u2019s finances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cThis is a common-sense ask right here of the governor of a resolution to volunteer,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cHillsborough County has done it; Bay County is doing it. Every elected official, we try to manage taxpayer dollars like we manage our own checkbooks and when we do our check. But when we manage our checkbooks, we balance it, and we go line by line, and we try to figure out where we\u2019re spending our money. That\u2019s what DOGE simply does.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news4jax.com\/topic\/Duval_DOGE\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.news4jax.com\/topic\/Duval_DOGE\/\">Duval DOGE<\/a> initiative was introduced by Councilman Ron Salem earlier in 2025. In April, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news4jax.com\/news\/local\/2025\/04\/18\/duval-doge-says-it-uncovered-17-million-in-unspent-funds-mayors-office-says-cost-savings-have-already-been-realized\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.news4jax.com\/news\/local\/2025\/04\/18\/duval-doge-says-it-uncovered-17-million-in-unspent-funds-mayors-office-says-cost-savings-have-already-been-realized\/\">the special committee said it found $17 million in unspent funds, but the mayor\u2019s office said those cost savings had already been realized<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">In June, Duval DOGE said that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news4jax.com\/news\/politics\/2025\/06\/17\/special-committee-on-duval-doge-to-share-update-after-finding-25m-in-unspent-city-funds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.news4jax.com\/news\/politics\/2025\/06\/17\/special-committee-on-duval-doge-to-share-update-after-finding-25m-in-unspent-city-funds\/\">it had begun spending a portion of the identified unspent funds<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The mayor\u2019s office has expressed concerns about Duval DOGE, stating that the Deegan administration has prioritized government efficiency since taking office without the need for a separate committee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">In June 2024, before Duval DOGE was launched, Deegan introduced the 904 Lean Initiative. The program was designed to reduce inefficiencies and improve how city departments function.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">News4JAX reached out to all members of city council on Florida DOGE coming to Jacksonville.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Jacksonville Councilman Rory Diamond said Florida DOGE is coming to the city to \u201cidentify and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":73563,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5136],"tags":[5229,69082,3188,723,69083,7310,69084,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-108246","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-duval-doge","10":"tag-fl","11":"tag-florida","12":"tag-florida-doge","13":"tag-jacksonville","14":"tag-mayor-deegan","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114949344797456233","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}