Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia (CFO) has determined over $440 million in Palm Beach County's Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget as “excessive, wasteful spending" during another county audit sweep while speaking in Boca Raton this week.
"Local governments have repeatedly taken advantage of the taxpayers by asking for more and more money. In just six years alone, Palm Beach County has wastefully and excessively spent more than $1.2 billion in taxpayer dollars, including $443 million in just Fiscal Year 25-26," Ingoglia said in a release. "Instead of being responsible stewards of the taxpayers, Palm Beach County has given us nothing but excuses. Until elected officials actually step up and take responsibility for this irresponsible spending, the county’s residents will continue to suffer through this unaffordability crisis. This is why much-needed property tax reform will be up for consideration on the ballot in November.”
According to the Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight (FAFO), Palm Beach County has specifically wasted $1,229,718,280 since 2020. More specifically, FAFO determined the county's General Fund Budget increased by $975,590,832 from FY 2019-20 to 2025-2026, despite having a population growth of 76,308 (5.1%).
That's also a $51,140 increase for every family of four moving into the county over that period, FAFO determined.
To counter the problem, FAFO suggested lowering the county's millage by 0.96, which it says would do the following:
- A taxable home value of $600,000 would save $577 per year.
- A taxable home value of $700,000 would save $673 per year.
- A taxable home value of $800,000 would save $769 per year.
CFO Ingoglia has uncovered over $3.7 billion in excessive and wasteful spending since beginning his FAFO statewide accountability tour in July 2025. Other counties and municipalities audited include Hillsborough County, Orange County, Broward County, the city of Jacksonville, and Miami-Dade County earlier this month with over $470 million in wasteful spending.
Ingoglia is currently running for a full term as CFO.
The CFO Republican primary is Aug. 18, with the general election on Nov. 3.
