BRADENTON, Fla. – The State of Florida’s Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) will audit Manatee County Authorities’s spending and funds, Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced at a information convention in Bradenton on Thursday.
Florida Chief Monetary Officer Blaise Ingoglia, who was sworn in earlier this week, joined the governor at Thursday’s information convention.
The backstory:
Earlier this yr, the state launched its personal Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), modeled after the federal authorities’s effort to seek out fraud, waste and abuse after President Donald Trump took workplace in January.
At a information convention in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, the governor mentioned extra DOGE audits of county and municipal governments will start July 31.
A group composed of auditors and different employees from numerous state companies will “conduct evaluations of the information methods, bodily premises and personnel of counties and cities which have to date refused to cooperate with us to establish and report on any extreme spending patterns.”
On Tuesday, the governor introduced audits of Broward County and the Metropolis of Gainesville, saying extra bulletins could be coming.
What they’re saying:
Throughout Thursday’s information convention, DeSantis talked about rising property taxes turning into a burden on owners, including that Manatee County has added $161 million to its reserves within the final six years, bringing the county’s whole reserves to $734 million.
“We run funds surpluses in Florida. We have maxed out the wet day fund, however there’s additionally some extent by which we should not simply be bogarting cash. We need to give again, proper? Give again to taxpayers,” DeSantis mentioned.
Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a information convention in Bradenton, Florida on July 24, 2025.
Ingoglia, a longtime critic of wasteful spending, centered his message on slicing down on fraud, waste and abuse in authorities.
“Most governments, most elected officers, they view it as not your cash. We have to remind them that it is your cash,” Ingoglia mentioned.
The Supply: This story was written with info from a information convention in Bradenton, Florida, on July 24, 2025.
