Ron DeSantis Calls On Counties Across Florida To Request State DOGE Audits

2 days ago

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) posted a video to social media congratulating Bay County on requesting an audit from Florida DOGE, and called on all counties and municipalities to follow suit.

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Transcript

00:00Well, I want to congratulate Bay County for being the first Florida County to voluntarily

00:06request an audit under DOJ of their county finances.

00:11We've seen property tax assessments go up across Florida at the local level.

00:17Taxpayers are pinched.

00:18They're paying more than they ever have.

00:20Even though we have homestead exemption, it hasn't been enough to fully protect taxpayers.

00:24Shouldn't you know how this money is being spent, especially in those counties that have

00:29seen dramatic increases in their state budgets?

00:33Now, we are working with the Florida legislature to get more prescriptive authority to be able

00:38to go in and conduct audits of these local governments so that taxpayers get the full

00:43picture of what's going on.

00:45But until that happens, counties that are willing to step up and ask for these audits

00:51are really leading by example.

00:54You can have all your ducks in a row.

00:56There's always things that you can do better.

00:58So I think Bay County stepping up, doing what they did, really sets a strong example

01:02for other counties throughout the state of Florida.

01:05Now, we are going to be working on providing relief from the property tax situation.

01:11It's very important given how that's pinched so many homeowners, particularly our senior

01:15citizens who have their homes paid off and they bought it 30 years ago for a certain

01:20amount.

01:21Now they're being told it's worth so much more and they have to pony up more and more

01:24money.

01:25It's almost like they have to pay rent to the government just to be able to enjoy their

01:28property and that's wrong and we need to do something about it.

01:32We're also going to continue to work with these cities and counties voluntarily over

01:37the ensuing weeks and months, but we really hope to be able to deliver some serious, serious

01:43audits working with the Florida legislature of what's going on in these local governments.

01:48I thank Bay County for what they did and I know there's going to be other counties that

01:52are going to step up to the plate.

Ron DeSantis Calls On Counties Across Florida To Request State DOGE Audits

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