Watch: Florida CFO Drops Audit on Palm Beach — Government Bloat EXPOSED

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Government waste has drawn the ire of fiscal conservatives for generations, but President Trump’s election — and his establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency — has put a national spotlight on such excessive taxpayer-funded spending.

Smaller-scale audits of local and state governments have found the same type of boondoggle spending identified on the federal level, as Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia recently announced.

After a thorough accounting of Palm Beach County’s finances, he delivered a scathing rebuke of the rampant waste. Here’s a video of his damning assessment:

If you’re having any trouble with that video, here’s a backup:

WFLX provided the response of some county leaders, at least some of whom acknowledged the problem:

“Almost every jurisdiction we have gone into has tried to refute our numbers. They can’t. We have teams of auditors, teams of CPA’s going over these numbers, and I’m going to tell you these numbers are absolutely solid.”

The CFO acknowledged that Palm Beach County officials have been receptive to his investigation, and the county’s deputy administrator said they are working on ways to trim spending while also trying to maintain services that citizens need.

“Really looking at where we can tighten things up and create some efficiencies, we’re doing that today,” Palm Beach County Deputy Administrator Todd Bonlarron told WPTV on Wednesday.

Ingoglia said his numbers show that cutting the $344 million from the county’s spending would roughly save homeowners, on average, about $300 a year in property taxes.

“They should know I’m going to cheer them on,” he said when asked about Palm Beach County leaders. “On behalf of the taxpayers to hold government accountable, make it small and cost less.”

But a spokesperson for Palm Beach County issued a statement trying to explain away the massive spending and even criticizing the method by which the audit calculated its numbers.

Per WPBF:

“Palm Beach County has lowered the millage rate twice in the last four years, returning more than $284.8 million in tax relief to residents. During that same period, property tax revenue increased largely because of growth in the tax base, not because of higher tax rates. From FY 2019 to FY 2026, total property tax revenue increased by $645 million. More than $420 million of that increase was required to fund the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, a constitutionally independent agency whose budget the County is obligated to support. The remaining growth was distributed across more than 30 departments that provide essential county services. When adjusted for population growth, mandated public safety costs, and inflation, county departmental spending has remained below inflationary trends while still meeting service demands.

The state’s calculation of ‘wasteful spending’ relies on using FY 2019–2020 as a baseline year. That year preceded the pandemic, the surge in population, and the significant rise in operational costs faced by all Florida local governments. Using that year as a fixed benchmark does not reflect the actual costs of providing public safety, infrastructure, and essential services in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state.

Since taking office, County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo has already implemented new cost-saving efficiencies, including a new data-driven budgeting process; partnering with OpenGov to improve operational efficiency and transparency; shifting to merit-based compensation to better control personnel costs; and providing the Board of County Commissioners with long-term budget scenarios to strengthen fiscal planning. We continue to work collaboratively with the Florida CFO’s Office and DOGE, and remain committed to delivering the most efficient and effective government possible while maintaining the essential services our residents expect.”

This was the biggest level of government waste uncovered so far, but it’s far from Ingoglia’s first rodeo:

And his dedication is clearly resonating, at least among those who actually want to get the state’s budget under control:

Want to see more of the CFO’s press conference? Here’s the full video:



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