Florida seeks voluntary financial reports from local governments

Governor Ron DeSantis has asked Florida city and county administrators to voluntarily report any current or expected financial issues. This request is part of his newly established Department of Government Efficiency, referred to as Florida DOGE. In a social media post, DeSantis encouraged local officials to collaborate with Florida DOGE to review their spending and financial practices. However, some officials found the unusual email asking for this information suspicious at first. Retired legal expert John Newton mentioned that it seems DeSantis is trying to expand the state's oversight role. DeSantis created Florida DOGE in February, inspired by the federal version that involves billionaire Elon Musk in budget cuts. The Florida team will use technology to identify waste in government spending at local levels. Cities and counties must respond to the letter by April 8, detailing any financial problems from the past seven years or those expected in the next six months. If they fail to respond, they may be assumed to be in violation of statutory obligations. The letter outlines specific financial issues that need to be reported. Some local leaders and attorneys expect that most cities will simply answer “no” to the questions. Local governments generally pride themselves on their transparency and openness to public input. Florida law already requires local entities to report serious financial problems to the governor or legislature. Some towns in financial distress are already under emergency status, and the state's Inspector General regularly investigates potential financial issues based on various sources. Despite the new requirements, audits conducted in previous years found no new fiscal emergencies among the local government entities.