Florida’s Chief Monetary Officer Blaise Ingoglia sharply criticized Broward County’s lately accredited $1.7 billion property tax budget on Tuesday, accusing native leaders of losing taxpayer {dollars}.
– Commercial –
“Authorities is simply going wild with our tax {dollars},” Ingoglia mentioned throughout remarks at Keiser College in Pembroke Pines, utilizing charts and figures to spotlight what he described as extreme spending. He famous that for each new resident transferring to Broward County over the previous 5 years, the county’s funds elevated by almost $11,000.
Ingoglia’s feedback come shortly after Broward County accredited the funds, which included a small discount within the county’s millage fee. He argued there’s room for added cuts to supply “true property tax reduction” whereas totally funding police and hearth companies.
“There may be greater than sufficient cash within the funds to completely fund hearth and police,” he mentioned, countering native officers who had argued that eliminating property taxes would danger underfunding first responders.
The Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) performed a two-day evaluation of the county’s normal funds over the summer time. In response to Ingoglia, Broward County’s almost $2 billion fund has grown by $617 million in 5 years, with about $190 million thought-about extreme or wasteful.
“The federal government paperwork itself is the wasteful spending,” Ingoglia mentioned. “Authorities is increasing as a result of they will, not as a result of they should.”
Broward County leaders defended their funds, pointing to fiscal accountability and important companies. Mayor Beam Furr referred to as the state evaluation a “teachable second,” noting that reserves are robust, the county has no debt, and it maintains a triple-A bond score.
Commissioner Steve Geller added that almost all of funds will increase have supported public security, emergency companies, and constructing reserves, in addition to applications like homelessness initiatives, which state regulation requires.
DOGE officers mentioned specifics on potential cuts shall be launched in a forthcoming report. Ingoglia declined to point which county budgets could also be reviewed subsequent underneath his workplace’s monetary oversight efforts.
