BREAKING: Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia just announced a bold initiative to standardize local government budgeting practices across the state. Speaking at a press event in Winter Park on Thursday, he urged lawmakers to implement legislation that would boost transparency and allow for greater public scrutiny of city and county budgets.
Ingoglia’s proposal mandates that local governments post their budgets online 14 days preceding public hearings, and maintain these records for a minimum of five years. Additionally, the new legislation would require cities and counties to identify 10% of their budgets that could be cut—though the proposal does not compel them to make those cuts.
“What we noticed is that…only some of them keep historical budget information on their website,” Ingoglia stated. “We think it should be standard and transparent.” His remarks come in the wake of an Orlando Sentinel review that found many local governments lack proper budget documentation on their websites.
COLLIER COUNTY Republican state Rep. Yvette Benarroch will file the bill, emphasizing that current budgeting practices are too opaque. “Too often, local budgets are passed in a way that regular people cannot follow,” she said. “The information is hard to find, hard to read… that’s not transparency. This bill is gonna fix that.”
Ingoglia, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this year, has been vocal about local government spending, particularly targeting Orange County, which he claims overtaxes residents by $148 each and overspends by $200 million annually. “To date, we have exposed more than $1.86 billion in wasteful, excessive spending in just 11 local governments,” he declared.
The CFO’s latest audit targeted the city of Orlando, which he described as spending at a “relatively sane” level, allegedly mismanaging around $22 million. However, he warned that neighboring Palm Beach County has surpassed inflation and population growth by more than $344 million this year, marking it as the largest instance of alleged overspending identified in Florida thus far.
Local officials have pushed back against Ingoglia’s claims, arguing that his calculations fail to account for necessary funding mandated by the state. For instance, Seminole County officials note that state mandates have increased by 71% since 2020, while Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings pointed out that the county’s status as the nation’s most-visited tourism destination contributes significantly to its rising budget.
As Florida residents await further developments, the implications of Ingoglia’s proposal could reshape how local governments operate, potentially ushering in an era of increased transparency and accountability.
With the bill expected to be filed soon, observers are keenly watching to see how lawmakers respond to this urgent call for change. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
