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St. Pete audit finds no mismanagement following DOGE criticism
Mayor Ken Welch had pushed back, calling the DOGE effort “not a true audit.”
St. Petersburg officials are pointing to a recently completed, independent audit that counters claims from a state-backed DOGE review that alleges that the city engaged in excessive and misaligned spending.
The dispute dates back to August 2025, when the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began examining the city’s finances. The agency later released a report stating that St. Petersburg’s general fund spending had increased by about 66% since 2016, outpacing population growth, while property tax revenues more than doubled during that period.
The report casts a wide net, labeling spending on climate initiatives, community grants and diversity programs as “ideological” — and comes as the state pushes aggressive penalties, including removal from office, for local officials who support them.
A 2025 DOGE review zeroed in on diversity, equity and inclusion spending, pointing to salaries like a $219,000 chief equity officer, an $87,000 LGBTQ coordinator, a $102,000 cultural affairs director and a $123,000 community justice liaison. It also flagged roughly $949,000 for nine employees in the city’s Office of Supplier Diversity, along with smaller outside grants and about $100,000 tied to Pride events.
But the city’s independent audit reached a starkly different conclusion: no fraud, no legal violations and no significant financial management issues. Mayor Ken Welch had pushed back, calling the DOGE effort “not a true audit,” contrasting it with the city’s formal financial review conducted under established accounting standards (Welch himself is a former accountant).
That review, covering fiscal year 2025, has since been completed. The audit, conducted by independent certified public accountants, found that the city’s financial statements were fairly presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Auditors reported no fraud, no violations of law and no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal controls. They also found no inappropriate accounting practices or undisclosed related-party transactions.
The report shows that St. Petersburg recorded more than $1 billion in total revenues in fiscal year 2025 and approximately $921 million in expenses. The city’s net position reached about $1.68 billion, an increase of roughly $83 million from the previous year. Total assets exceeded $3.25 billion.
At the same time, the audit reflects an increase in spending that aligns with trends cited in the DOGE report. Governmental expenses rose to about $601 million in 2025, representing an increase of roughly 20% from the prior year.
According to the audit, a significant portion of that increase was driven by hurricane-related costs. The city reported approximately $92.9 million in debris removal and storm recovery expenses in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Those costs were partially offset by $15 million in insurance proceeds and additional federal reimbursements related to disaster recovery.
The audit also outlines how the city allocates its spending. Salaries and benefits account for about 43% of total expenditures, with public safety among the largest expense categories. In a previous interview, Welch said about 98% of property tax revenue is directed toward police and fire services.
Auditors identified one snafu during their review. Approximately $1.5 million in expenditures were not recorded in the correct fiscal period, resulting in an understatement of certain liabilities and expenses. The finding was classified as a timing error rather than misuse of funds, giving Welch the clear.
The DOGE report from 2025 does not allege fraud or illegal activity, but the scale and direction of city spending. The audit evaluates whether financial reporting and controls meet required standards and found no significant deficiencies.
Alan DeLisle
April 24, 2026at8:30 am
Audit the Moffitt deal that Welch cancelled, or the Marina or the Rays/Trop deals that Welch botched. Why don’t we audit all the jobs that Welch has lost for St Pete in his first term because of his economic development negligence.
Bill Herrmann
April 23, 2026at10:43 am
+1 for wanting to see the report!
Donna Kostreva
April 22, 2026at8:28 pm
How about refunding the taxpayers for all of these salaries??? “In 2025 DOGE review zeroed in on diversity, equity and inclusion spending, pointing to salaries like a $219,000 chief equity officer, an $87,000 LGBTQ coordinator, a $102,000 cultural affairs director and a $123,000 community justice liaison. It also flagged roughly $949,000 for nine employees in the city’s Office of Supplier Diversity, along with smaller outside grants and about $100,000 tied to Pride events.”
Patrick Mullen
April 22, 2026at4:30 pm
Not a comment, but a question. Where can we see a copy of the independent audit? Thanks
Glenn Ellmers
April 22, 2026at4:02 pm
My previous comment reflected that fact that I didn’t make it down to the last two short paragraphs at the very end of the article. So let me say instead that the reporter buried the lead.
JAMES GILLESPIE
April 22, 2026at3:48 pm
how about florida doge paying for the city audit costs and admitting its mistakes and incompetence. slavishly following the stupidity of the whole dodge concept.
Glenn Ellmers
April 22, 2026at3:44 pm
The person who wrote this article doesn’t seem to grasp that the DOGE criticisms and the recent audit are examining entirely different things. The DOGE report pointed out that spending had increased dramatically, including for various DEI hires and other “ideological” projects. The DOGE criticism never alleged that these expenditures were illegal, but rather wasteful and unnecessary.
The audit results were confined to a much narrower set of criteria, and only found the city had not done anything illegal or in violation of standard accounting procedures. But the DOGE criticisms never alleged that.
The article presumes that the audit refutes the DOGE allegations, but that’s really missing the point: they are addressing entirely different things.
Steven Sullivan
April 23, 2026at7:23 pm
What’s a DEI hire? Seems to me you’ve got a problem with people that don’t look like you or share your “IDEALOGY” that’s not neighborly