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St. Pete protestors, DOGE chief clash at City Hall
The state’s chief financial officer said auditors should act like police investigators, and doubted protestors pay property taxes.
A group of protestors interrupted Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia early and often as he briefly addressed the media Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg.
The state’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is conducting on-site audits in the city as part of a statewide crackdown on alleged financial misconduct. Ingoglia, standing in the City Hall foyer, said he “affectionately” refers to the initiative as FAFO – a widely known acronym for “f**k around and find out.”
Ingoglia then repeated a common and oft-disputed refrain: Local budgets have “exploded” by 60% to 120% since the pandemic. He added that elected officials use the money to expand government and spend it “on things that most people would probably not agree with.”
The group that had gathered began questioning Ingoglia’s claims mid-speech. He stopped to address the crowd after stating that DOGE has documented “egregious raises.”
“I understand that you guys love wasteful spending,” Ingoglia said. “We have some signs for you that say, ‘I heart wasteful spending.’ You guys can talk as long and as loud as you want. I am hell-bent on delivering property tax relief to the State of Florida.”
He pledged that the state-appointed team, while conducting on-site visits, would hold elected officials accountable and scrutinize the size of local governments. Mayor Ken Welch took a decidedly less confrontational approach.
“We had a successful first day with the state DOGE team, and I want to thank our City team for their efforts on quickly compiling and preparing this requested data ahead of today’s visit,” Welch said in a prepared statement. “As stated when we first received the request, the city is complying with all DOGE requests and will provide any additional information or clarification as needed.
“As we continue through this process, our main priority remains inclusive progress for our city, based on our shared values, and moving forward with clarity, purpose and integrity.”
While cutting property taxes has, at least recently, been the agency’s primary focus, St. Petersburg received a letter with 15 specific requests related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). “It’s not the specific initiatives and programs,” Ingoglia said.
He elaborated that local officials could overspend on contracts with outside vendors or not follow the state-mandated procurement process. However, DOGE wanted a list of all employees who advance DEI or anti-racism efforts.
Councilmember Brandi Gabbard (center) said she stood with those who oppose the state’s “overreach.” Photo: Facebook.
The state also demanded a copy of all official goals, policies and mission statements, along with department actions taken to support those efforts. Administrators must provide information on DEI training offered by the city to “contractors, grant recipients or members of the public,” including the identities of attendees and trainers.
Ingoglia would not provide examples of improprieties. He said local officials are “listening to me right now,” and could try to hide similar information.
Councilmember Brandi Gabbard was one of those local officials who, in a subsequent social media post, said she stood with the City of St. Petersburg’s employees and residents “against the overreach of DOGE.”
“I am confident that this is not an exercise in eliminating wasteful spending, but instead a difference of opinion on priorities,” Gabbard wrote. “Here in the City of St. Petersburg, we are proudly elected to be the voice of our residents and are fiercely protective of home rule.”
When asked if DOGE’s actions were undermining duly elected officials, Ingoglia claimed that 70% of Floridians believe they have been overtaxed and want someone to intervene. “So, obviously, the people that they put into office aren’t watching out for their best interest,” he added. Ingoglia said he and Governor Ron DeSantis would “look out for their best interests.”
The crowd began chanting, “Watch what they do, not what they say,” as Ingoglia walked away.
The DOGE team will continue its on-site inspections Thursday. The mayor will issue a proclamation commemorating Black Business Month at that afternoon’s city council meeting.
Samantha Bequer, public information officer for St. Petersburg, said the agency’s appointees had a makeshift headquarters at the Municipal Services Center. They spent the day reviewing submitted files, and “city staff looks forward to welcoming the team back.”
Ingoglia said he told the auditors to act as if they were police investigators. “If they see something that looks wrong, or see something that doesn’t look right, then their job is to investigate,” he continued.
“They need to go down the rabbit hole and make sure they find the inefficiencies.”
Linda Marr
August 15, 2025at10:15 pm
Bull!
“After Ingoglia’s conference, St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard told San Pedro Gazette that she looks forward to seeing Florida DOGE’s report, but refutes any idea that there is wasteful spending in the city.
“I feel confident and very much believe that we represent the desires, wishes and the needs of this residence that we serve, and we will continue to do so in the city of St Petersburg,” she added. “And I look forward to looking for any ways that we can continue to collaborate with the state to do what’s right for the residents.”
Ask the residents of Disston Heights how the city listened to them (not) and did what’s right for our property taxes paying community in regards to density.
Steven Sullivan
March 31, 2026at11:25 am
This is not about that. I don’t know what this is about other than looking for a scapegoat. Like insurance rates are not most of the problem alongside development density as you stated
Donna Kostreva
August 15, 2025at7:25 am
After the recent fiasco where extra “bonuses” were about to be handed out to workers merely performing their duties. Fortunately , someone woke up and cancelled the bonuses! This City needs outside scrutiny! Look at your property tax bills, water, sewer charges. The best department is the Sanitation which performs their duties flawlessly year after year! Bravo to them!
Steven Sullivan
March 31, 2026at11:33 am
Water and sewer rate charges are a result of under investment in the infrastructure during prior periods of growth. You want development and growth? That comes along with increased pressure on your water and sewer capacity which you would then have to increase -expand or build more facilities $
Connie Davis
August 15, 2025at6:47 am
I always err on the side of truth. If there is nothing to hide, then there shouldn’t be any resistance to any kind of audit at any time, from anyone. Spending money of our own is one thing. Spending and overseeing other people’s money and making decisions on budgets based on preference rather than what is in the best interest for all calls for the utmost integrity and cooperation across all officials and stewards of the city or county. This is not an individual agenda, but the people’s agenda. The most vulnerable and least sophisticated deserve to be looked after, so if measures are being taken to ensure that money is being spent where it has the most impact — then that is what our government officials should be chartered to do.
Steven Sullivan
March 31, 2026at12:16 pm
Audits with an A-political agendas are to be feared. Local and state agendas are totally different so don’t be fooled
Pat O'Brien
August 14, 2025at8:50 pm
As taxpayers why wouldn’t we want accountability for how our tax dollars are spend. Doge at the federal level has already discovered millions in wasted funds, so the same accountability should exist at the state level.
Steven Sullivan
March 31, 2026at12:23 pm
Local has different focus and has accounting audits every year to make sure dollars don’t disappear. The people are the auditors. You want answers get involved. Millions out of a $2 trillion dollar budget is a rounding area and was mostly programming fraud
Andre Vassallo
August 14, 2025at7:17 pm
Since we had the Covid Catastrophe everybody has an excuse. Everything seems to be so hard and impossible. The more money thrown at a problem the worse it gets. Lets have a little accountability back. We even get to blame an outsider for fixing it. Thank you Doge for sending us Blaise Ingoglia.
Now none of us has to take the blame for rooting out the vermin
causing this waste and irresponsibility.
Mike Kosempa
August 14, 2025at5:28 pm
Stop disgracing Dr Martin Luther King Jrs dream of looking past the color of peoples skin. Stop. Stop disgracing him. Stop disgracing yourselves.
S. Rose Smith-Hayes
August 14, 2025at2:41 pm
Democratic Black Mayor or Democratic Mayor and DEI. Then we have any other Democratic Mayor and DEI.
We are Not stupid, we know what they are looking for. anything that helps the non White American people is a target. Please ask the Governor and his wife to give back the $10 million taken from the Medicaid refund, please.