In less than one day on the job, newly appointed Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia stated he will audit the City of Gainesville after sending a seven-page letter to Mayor Harvey Ward.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Blaise Ingoglia Monday, ending a months-long vacancy on the Florida Cabinet. The CFO role oversees state finances, insurance regulation and fraud while also serving as State Fire Marshal.
Ingoglia, who said he plans to audit local governments, vowed to identify waste, reduce unnecessary spending and amplify the Florida Department of Government Efficiency's efforts.
In his letter Monday night, Ingoglia formally requested access to Gainesville city government records, data systems and personnel as part of an investigation into rising tax burdens and municipal spending.
“Citizens have a right to expect that their elected officials will spend the collected funds responsibly, not recklessly, and on truly necessary programs,” Ingoglia wrote in the letter, referencing a directive from Gov. Ron DeSantis’s DOGE initiative aimed at identifying excessive government spending.
Ingoglia, who took to X, said investigations into Gainesville and Broward County were one of his first actions as CFO.
“Accountability is coming,” he wrote.
Press conference
Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Gainesville’s Florida Department of Transportation’s office Tuesday morning to address the audit into the city’s finances.
DeSantis said the audit’s goal is to minimize property taxes imposed by local governments. The “DOGEing” of local authority is a new development, he said, and cities that don’t comply will see DOGE efforts rolled out.
DeSantis commented on the Gainesville City Commission’s recent 5% business tax increase, which hasn’t increased since 2000.
“Over the last five years, taxpayers in Gainesville have watched as the city government has increased burden on property owners,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis wants local governments to put taxpayers first, adding that most residents don’t want their property taxes to fund DEI initiatives and green new deals, he said.
More cities and counties will be audited in the coming weeks, he said. The letter cited financial penalties for governments that don’t comply.
“This is not optional cooperation,” DeSantis said. “It’s signed into law.”
All Florida counties, municipalities and special districts are required to complete an annual financial report each fiscal year. Those meeting revenue and total expense thresholds are also required to have an annual audit conducted by an independent, certified public accountant. Audits are submitted to the Florida Department of Financial Services and the Auditor General.
DOGE and Ingoglia’s teams are set to arrive at audited cities and counties, like Gainesville and Broward County, at the end of July to review personnel records and spending receipts.
It’s still unknown how long the audit will take to complete.
Blaise Ingoglia took the stand after the governor’s address, calling himself an “anti-wasteful-spending activist.”
Ingoglia called Gainesville one of the “worst offenders” of unnecessary spending in the state. The audit aims to shine a light on spending and keep voters informed of the city’s spending.
“Taking extra tax revenue, spending it recklessly, we are seeing it,” he said. “We’re on a mission to prove that a lot of the stuff they don’t want to cut, they could cut. There’s just not a willingness to cut.”
In response to the audit, Mayor Harvey Ward said Gainesville has been and will remain an “open book,” he wrote in an email.
The city commission has passed debt reduction plans and eliminated staff positions to maintain the city’s financial efficiency. The city maintained public safety, expanded financial reserves and maintained average millage rates in Florida, he wrote.
It’s not the first time Gainesville has experienced “an extensive DOGE-style process,” Ward said. He expects other historically “blue” cities and counties will “undergo similar scrutiny,” he added.
“We will continue to be responsive to state government while meeting the needs and values of our Gainesville neighbors,” he wrote.
CFO’s request
The letter is a collaboration between the Florida Governor’s Office, the state’s Chief Financial Officer, the Office of Policy and Budget and Florida DOGE.
The request demands the CFO be given access to city offices on July 31 and Aug. 1.
The letter expresses concern over an “80% increase” in ad valorem tax collections over the past four years, amounting to an additional “$30 million annually.” It also states the city’s budget has expanded by nearly $90 million per year.
The letter requests results of Gainesville Regional Utilities rate studies conducted since 2019 and methodology for transferring funds between the utilities system and other government funds.
In the letter’s longest request, Gainesville must identify current and former positions responsible for advancing DEI or “anti-racism efforts.”
The city must provide details about scheduled and unscheduled DEI-related training, including materials, trainers’ qualifications, attendance records, costs and contractor information.
It must disclose programs or grants targeted by race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, along with related DEI communications to city staff since 2019.
The letter demands the city provide documentation of adopted greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets to date, including analyses of alternatives, capital and operational expenses, cost-benefit studies and actual costs.
Purchases related to electric vehicles, EV infrastructure, solar power systems and carbon credits are also required, including reliability records and training related to climate change.
Further requests target city spending on homelessness programs, grants to NGOs for homeless services and Gainesville’s efforts to measure the programs’ success.
The city is required to provide comprehensive information on contracts exceeding $10,000.
It must include records of bid solicitations, vendor selections and contract documents. The city must show the “reasonableness of pricing” with data and reviews on the timeliness of contract management, work authorizations and payments.
Gainesville must provide detailed compensation records for city employees since fiscal year 2019-20, including regular pay, overtime, bonuses and cash compensation. It must disclose how promotions and pay increases are determined, list all department-wide salary decisions and provide cost analyses.
For leased city-owned property, the letter requests lease amounts, terms and market value assessments. The city must provide information on property sales and purchases, and documents of city departments placed under or removed from a “Management Watch” since 2023.
Gainesville must also supply records of grants made to external entities since 2023, including policies, payment records and monitoring procedures. For non-state-related grants received by the city, the letter requested information on matching requirements, funding sources, decision-making records and impact analyses.
Contact Sara-James Ranta at sranta@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sarajamesranta.
Sara-James Ranta is a journalism senior, minoring in sociology of social justice and policy. She previously served as Metro's K-12 education reporter. In her free time, SJ is watching a new show, listening to EDM or discussing Star Wars.
