Gov. Ron DeSantis this week offered a first glimpse at specific examples of what he calls wasteful spending in Broward County, a criticism that targets less than 1% of the alleged waste highlighted earlier this week by the state’s Chief Financial Officer.
County commissioners on Friday replied that having differing opinions in spending priorities doesn’t mean that the county is being wasteful.
In a news release Wednesday afternoon, DeSantis previewed the findings of the state DOGE audit of Broward County, accusing the local government of spending:
— $890,000 on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training since fiscal year 2020.
— $175,000 on creating virtual art in the “Metaverse.”
— $44,000 to support a UN treaty promoting gender equity, seeking to compel Americans to “accept gender quotas and unequal treatment in service of supposedly-equal ‘outcomes,’” according to the governor’s office.
Earlier this week, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia accused the county of increasing spending by $190 million more than warranted by inflation and population growth since 2020, a figure county officials calculated was roughly $81 million above what they actually budgeted or spent over the same time period.
While the discrepancy has not yet been explained, the governor has insisted that spending in Broward is costing taxpayers millions more than warranted, and he is focusing on examples that, in his view, demonstrate a commitment to priorities that are out of sync with what taxpayers should be funding. Broward was one of 10 local governments across Florida mentioned in the governor’s news release.
“These audits have uncovered many irresponsible uses of taxpayer funds. It’s unconscionable for local governments to raise taxes on Floridians in order to subsidize wasteful spending,” DeSantis said in the news release. “Under my leadership, Floridians can continue to expect fiscal responsibility at the state level — and we are working to bring relief to our citizens being squeezed by property taxes at the local level.”
The “metaverse” criticism may be a nod to a county portal that lets people visit Broward landmarks virtually.
Local elected officials have long predicted that the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, review of county spending, would ultimately highlight political differences rather than point to examples of waste, fraud and abuse.
County Commissioner Steven Geller, a former state legislator, said his prediction was vindicated by the state’s first allegations of waste.
“This is an example of politicians in Tallahassee telling local officials what they should be prioritizing politically,” Geller said. “A difference of opinion on spending priorities does not make one wasteful and the other responsible.”
Geller has consistently defended the county’s spending practices as focused on law enforcement and committed to preventing local elected officials from rewarding donors for their political contributions.
“We have no elected officials, none, on our selection committee,” Geller said. That, he said, keeps politicians from rewarding donors with lucrative contracts.
Commissioner Michael Udine agreed that “waste” is in the eye of the beholder. “I think everything needs to be looked at for the value that it adds to constituents,” he said. “Any amount in wasteful spending should be curtailed. But right now what the governor is talking about, by his own numbers, in $1 million out of $190 million he wants to call waste.”
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.
