(The Center Square) – Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency found “numerous” instances of what it described as questionable spending across the state but no fraud, according to a report released by the DOGE task force.
DOGE, created by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in 2025 to identify overspending, waste, fraud and abuse, accused some of Florida’s largest local governments of over $1.86 billion in wasteful spending. It criticized Orange County for increasing grants to nonprofits by $80 million. Broward County was dinged for spending $175,000 on “virtual art” and increasing its budget for cultural grants by 65% since 2021.
No criminal wrongdoing was alleged in the 98-page report. Instead, it appeared to assert that cities and counties are spending too much on initiatives other than core services, justifying DeSantis’ goal of cutting property taxes.
The budgets of Florida’s 10 largest cities showed a 36% increase in spending from fiscal year 2021 and a 67% increase since fiscal year 2017, according to the report. Spending was up 49% in Florida’s five largest counties – Miami, Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough and Orange – from fiscal year 2020-2021, the report said.
The increase was not driven primarily by government functions like law enforcement, firefighting or emergency management, the report said. DOGE pointed to six-figure salaries and large pay raises for government employees, and spending on initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion and climate change, among other things.
One of the report’s primary claims is that as home values have soared, local government spending has increased much more than their populations or inflation rates.
“The absence of budgetary discipline by local governments is clear. And with an ever-increasing flow of property tax dollars into their coffers, they see no need to change course. Even those that have given the pretense of reducing millage rates nonetheless sit atop a much increased revenue stream, in part due to continually increasing property taxes,” DOGE wrote.
Some governments have pushed back on the charges. After the state’s chief financial officer said he had been limited from reviewing government finances, the mayor of Jacksonville said the state audit team would find the city’s finances have been managed “responsibly and prudently.”
The Florida Association of Counties could not be reached for comment on the report prior to publication.
Several measures to cut property taxes have advanced in the Florida House this legislative session. Most would need 60% of voter approval to go into effect.
DeSantis has not presented a formal plan to cut taxes but has said that only one should appear on the November ballot.
