MIAMI — Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia didn’t hold back. After a fresh state review of the City of Miami’s budget, Ingoglia blasted local leaders for what he called reckless, wasteful spending that’s ballooned out of control.
“If this was a business, the City of Miami would go bankrupt,” Ingoglia said flatly. “There’s no two ways about it.”
According to Ingoglia, the city’s general fund has swelled beyond reasonable limits, even when factoring in population growth and inflation.
“This is, in my opinion, pure fiscal irresponsibility,” he added.
A 44% Budget Surge — and $94 Million Over the Line
Ingoglia said Miami’s leaders allowed the city’s budget to skyrocket by more than $358 million since 2019, a 44% jump in just five years. He claims the city overshot its reasonable spending target by $94 million.
The funding, he noted, comes largely from property taxes — money he says is being “squandered” by city hall.
“Government is taking your money and wasting it,” Ingoglia said. “They’re taxing you guys and asking for more, more, and more.”
The review was conducted by Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as part of a statewide initiative to identify wasteful spending and push for property tax reform.
Miami Fires Back: “Oversimplified and Incomplete”
In a late Thursday statement, the Miami City Commission hit back, calling Ingoglia’s analysis “incomplete” and “shortsighted.”
“It’s important to note the shortsightedness of drawing broad conclusions from just a few data points without considering external factors,” the city wrote.
Officials argued that Miami’s role as the urban and economic core of South Florida makes its financial needs incomparable to suburban or rural municipalities. The city said it provides essential services to thousands of workers, visitors, and government agencies far beyond its resident population.
“A formula applied to a suburban or rural city would never reasonably apply to a city as complex and unique as Miami,” the statement read.
Statewide Crackdown on Waste
Ingoglia said the DOGE audit has now reviewed seven local governments across Florida, including Broward County last month. In total, he claims the reviews have uncovered more than $1.1 billion in wasteful spending statewide this year alone.
He’s now urging Miami to cut costs without slashing services, and to find ways to deliver property tax relief to residents.
“We’re not asking cities to gut essential programs,” Ingoglia said. “We’re asking them to respect taxpayers and run like they mean it.”
