Florida's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is set to review county spending in Hillsborough and Pinellas, according to letters obtained by ABC Action News.
Both letters state even though counties have "taken steps to reduce the county-wide millage rate in recent years, rising property values have pushed annual property tax collections up."
The letter states in part: "Through the DOGE effort, Governor DeSantis has charged us to identify and report on this type of excessive spending at the county and municipal level, and the citizens of Florida have responded with enthusiasm. We appreciate [the county’s] establishment of a DOGE committee as an example of that enthusiasm, and we hope that our work will ultimately support responsible decision-making by [county] leaders."
The Florida DOGE team, along with Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and the Office of Policy and Budget, then requested access to both counties' premises, data systems and responsive personnel.
Auditing for Pinellas is scheduled to take place on Aug. 7 and 8, and Hillsborough on Aug. 11 and 12.
The effort is part of newly enacted rules under DOGE, aimed at increasing transparency in how local governments use taxpayer dollars. The state is requesting seven pages of data from targeted municipalities, encompassing information on compensation, contracts, spending on climate programs and DEI initiatives.
More than 75 cities and counties have volunteered for self-audits, according to state officials. Ingoglia emphasized that while the state can’t force local changes directly, the findings could drive public support for new fiscal policies or politicians.
“I don't think we'll have any authority to necessarily roll it back,” Ingoglia told ABC Action News back in July. “But we will have the authority to get some property tax cuts on the ballot next year so [voters] can vote on a constitutional amendment. But the first thing that people need to know is that their local governments, if they are not spending their tax money wisely, have the ability to make change locally.”
Read the full letters:
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