Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia (CFO) unveiled over $165 million in Osceola County's budget last year as “excessive, wasteful spending" during another audit crackdown while speaking in St. Cloud this week.
“A budget increase of this magnitude for Osceola County is further proof that local governments have not been good stewards of taxpayer dollars," Ingoglia said in a release. "Local officials would rather keep their large, bloated budgets than offer meaningful tax relief to their residents. The excessive wasteful spending identified in Osceola County to the tune of $165 million is money that could have remained in the pockets of the families that live here. This is why voters will finally be able to get real property tax relief on the ballot in November.”
CFO Ingoglia also uncovered Osceola County's budget has grown by 102.35% since Fiscal Year 2019-20. Osceola County is located in Central Florida, about an hour south of Orlando.
According to the Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight (FAFO), Osceola County's budget has increased by $380,749,847, despite having a population growth of 125,883 people (32.39%). That's also a $12,098.52. for every family of four moving into the county, FAFO determined.
To counter the problem, FAFO suggested lowering the county's millage by 1.81 mills, which it says would do the following:
- A taxable home value of $300,000 would save $544 per year.
- A taxable home value of $400,000 would save $725 per year.
- A taxable home value of $500,000 would save $907 per year.
“Floridians are suffering at the hands of local government growing faster than inflation and population. Thank you, CFO Ingoglia, for holding local government officials accountable and remaining steadfast in protecting the taxpayers," LIBRE-Florida Strategic Director David Santiago added.
CFO Ingoglia's findings come after a Palm Beach County audit earlier this week. Since beginning his FAFO statewide accountability tour in July 2025, Ingoglia has uncovered over $3.6 billion in excessive, wasteful spending across the state, including in major cities such as Jacksonville and Orlando.
