Key Points

  • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that he will use new powers granted by the state legislature to launch federal-style "Department of Government Efficiency" audits in Broward County and the city of Gainesville to review local government spending.
  • State Chief Financial Officer Bryce Ingoria posted on social media platform X on Monday two letters dated July 21 from the Governor's Executive Office, addressed to Broward County Administrator Beam Furr and Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward, pledging to audit local governments and protect taxpayer money.
  • "What we're going to do is shine a light on everything—there's no way to have substantive property tax reform without substantive spending reform; and the only way to do that is to let citizens know clearly where the government is spending their money. So we're going to go in, work hard, do our due diligence, and show you the need for spending cuts," Ingoria said at a Tuesday press conference.

In-Depth Analysis

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 20—the day of his second-term inauguration—establishing the new "Department of Government Efficiency." Tech billionaire Elon Musk has led this controversial federal program, which has resulted in thousands of federal workers being laid off and funding cuts to numerous agencies and programs.

The state's announcement of this push for "Department of Government Efficiency"-style audits comes about a week after DeSantis appointed then-state Senator Ingoria to serve as Florida's next Chief Financial Officer. The seat became vacant late last year when Jimmy Patronis resigned to run for and win a congressional seat.

Ingoria appears to be following in the footsteps of his predecessor—who frequently made headlines for wading into national cultural debates and topics far beyond the routine duties of state financial oversight.

In social media posts, Ingoria said the letters sent to Gainesville and Broward requested "financial information regarding compensation, contracts, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), etc." The letter to the Gainesville mayor posted on Ingoria's social media, signed by DeSantis and other state officials including the finance director, cited the state constitution's grant of authority to the CFO to obtain information.

The letter reads: "We hereby request access to your city's physical premises, data systems, and relevant personnel on July 31 and August 1, 2025, as detailed below our signatures."

Officials from Gainesville and Broward County could not be immediately reached for comment.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the Florida Chief Financial Officer's name.