Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has called on local governments in the Sunshine State to agree to voluntary audits from the state’s Department of Government Efficiency task force as Florida looks to cut government waste and fraud.
DeSantis announced the state’s DOGE efforts last month, including a task force aimed at 70 state boards and commissions for potential elimination and an examination of local government spending, among other tasks. The governor applauded Bay County officials Tuesday for their apparent willingness to have their county finances audited.
In a post on X, the Florida governor called on “all Florida counties and municipalities to voluntarily work with our Florida DOGE team to review local spending and financial practices.”
Florida tax payers have been hit by local property taxes as many local governments have increased their budgets significantly.
Today, I am calling on all Florida counties and municipalities to voluntarily work with our Florida DOGE team to review local spending and financial… pic.twitter.com/B18TZVOeiZ
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 18, 2025
“We really hope to be able to deliver some serious, serious audits working with the Florida legislature of what’s going on in these local governments,” DeSantis said in the video posted to X Tuesday.
He specifically identified local property taxes as a potential area where taxes could be cut, claiming senior citizens were being “pinched” by the annual tax on their properties as values increased.
“Now they’re being told it’s worth so much more, and they have to pony up more and more money. It’s almost like they have to pay rent to the government just to be able to enjoy their property, and that’s wrong,” DeSantis said.
DOGE: WHICH STATES ARE TRYING SIMILAR EFFORTS TO FEDERAL INITIATIVE
While Bay County has not adopted a resolution to cooperate with a state DOGE audit, county manager Bob Majka had indicated at a meeting Tuesday that he believed it was a good idea and planned to bring the proposal to next month’s meeting, per WMBB.
Florida’s DOGE efforts are one of several in different states across the country that seek to mimic the goal of the federal DOGE efforts spearheaded by Elon Musk in the Trump White House.