Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, alongside Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, announced plans to significantly reduce or eliminate property taxes in the state through a constitutional amendment. As part of efforts to address government spending, DeSantis and Ingoglia have initiated subpoenas against Orange County officials for obstructing audits conducted by the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO), also referred to as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These audits target wasteful spending and the expansion of government programs funded by extra tax revenue, including expenditures related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. CFO Ingoglia accused Orange County of lacking full cooperation and hiding records during the audits, prompting the subpoenas. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings denied any wrongdoing and questioned the necessity of the DOGE audit. The subpoenas specifically seek information from employees allegedly involved in covering up spending on DEI programs and minority set-aside efforts, which have been criticized by the DeSantis administration as examples of "woke" spending. The administration's actions reflect a broader push to increase fiscal oversight of local governments and provide property tax relief to Florida residents.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, State CFO Blaise Ingoglia announced Wednesday that subpoenas have been issued to some Orange County government employees after a Florida Department of Government Efficiency’s audit into the county that was conducted in early August. https://t.co/cttJgtAzUV
RON DESANTIS UPDATES FLORIDA ON 2026 PLAN FOR PROPERTY TAX VOTE (Newsweek) "I think that property taxes have pinched a lot of people, and I think we got to do something about it," DeSantis said during a news conference in Tampa. "All I will say to that is, stay tuned. I'm https://t.co/GVTr1iOpUC
County to DOGE chief: Show us the examples of this 'eye-popping' waste you have found https://t.co/1i7sjRJcKt