The city of St. Petersburg is the latest municipality to find itself under review by the newly formed Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created to mimic federal efforts under the same name to reduce the size and scope of government.
St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch received a letter on Aug. 1, a follow-up to another sent July 11, asking for a trove of information related to city programs, spending and taxation.
The letter requests access to the “city’s physical premises, data systems, and responsive personnel” on Aug. 13 and 14.
The latest letter points to “the annual burden on property tax” rising more than $95 million over the past six years, a 75% increase, according to DOGE. The letter acknowledges that “the city has lowered its millage rate during this time period,” but laments that collections are still increasing at a faster pace.
It further notes that the city’s general fund budget has increased by $130 million over the same six-year period.
“Having entrusted their governments with the power to tax, the citizens of Florida have a right to expect that their elected officials will spend the collected funds responsibly, not recklessly, and on truly necessary programs,” the letter reads, referring to the increases to the city’s general fund budget as “excessive spending.”
In a post to social media following receipt of the letter, Welch said the city is “reviewing it carefully” and “will fully cooperate, providing any additional information or clarification as requested.”
“My administration’s Principles for Accountable and Responsible Government continue to guide our work. We will address any questions that may arise from the State’s process and move forward with clarity and accountability in the best interest of the residents of St. Petersburg,” he wrote.
Florida Politics has requested clarification from the city about the numbers provided in the DOGE letter, and will update this report when that information is available.
The Aug. 1 letter, which the city did not receive until well after business hours on Friday, includes a litany of requests for additional information related to procurement and contracting; personnel compensation; management practices; city utilities; diversity, equity and inclusion jobs, spending and mission; adherence to the federal “Green New Deal,” including the city’s Integrated Sustainability Action Plan and transition to 100% clean energy”; grants and financial management; transportation, including traffic calming and bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects; and homeless services.
It also seeks access to four city employees: Chief Equity Officer George Smith, ADA and Diversity Coordinator Lendel Bright, Supplier Diversity Manager Kourey Hendryx-Bell and Office of Sustainability and Resiliency Director Sharon Wright.
Under procurement and contracting, DOGE has solicited all policies, rules and legal requirements for contracts in excess of $10,000, and information “supporting the determination of the reasonableness of pricing for procurements or contracts.”
DOGE is also asking the city to provide data on how much it pays in overtime, bonuses and other employee compensation from Fiscal Year 2019-20 through the present and a list of departmentwide or citywide salary increases.
It also asks the city to provide information about staff meeting or exceeding performance targets, paid time off policies, and information about employment separation payments, such as severance, exceeding 25% of the employee’s regular salary.
The letter further asks for information regarding inventory of tangible city property, and on any property the city leases or property it owns, with a specific inquiry about the date of acquisition, cost, current valuation, upkeep costs and plans for use or disposition.
DOGE is also requesting data to perform a deep dive into methods used to determine utility rates.
The Department is also taking aim at diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the city, commonly referred to as DEI, which have become a frequent target by GOP officials.
The letter requests a list of jobs whose responsibilities advance DEI initiatives, including those targeting anti-racism. It targets “any form of preferential treatment based on race, ethnicity, gender, or the like” and includes a parenthetical further specifying that includes “the use of substitutes such as ‘cultural competence’ or ‘lived experience’ to conceal such preferential treatment.”
On the city’s sustainability efforts, the letter seeks information related to the “consideration of alternatives to any such emissions goal or target” and any cost-benefit analysis to support goals, as well as “all actual expenses to date associated with the goal or target.”
The transportation section largely targets shared use paths and other infrastructure benefiting pedestrians and cyclists, including all improvements completed since Jan. 1, 2020, and “all actual maintenance and operating expenses.”
The DOGE letter also seeks “the basis for the installation, including any plan, analysis, or recommendation” for traffic calming devices, such as speed tables, raised intersections, speed bumps or curb extensions.
It further asks for information about any spending, including grants to providers or nonprofits, related to the city’s homeless population. The letter seeks “all data collected or otherwise in the County’s possession regarding mental health, crime, immigration status, substance abuse, and public service usage in connection with homeless and affordable housing services.”
The letter reminds city officials that “financial penalties may accrue for your failure to comply with each of” the requests.
Those requests, which span seven pages, follow an initial letter sent to the city last month outlining three pages of requests. At that time, DOGE sought much more broad information, such as population; total city revenue; total city budget; breakdowns of property taxes and non-property tax revenue; and allocations to all city departments and spending budgets, such as police and fire, utilities, solid waste, transportation, culture and recreation, human services — such as mental health and public assistance — general government, and more.
Meanwhile, DOGE is also targeting Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. While St. Pete has a Democratic Mayor and a Democratic majority City Council, Pinellas and Hillsborough County Commissions are both run by Republicans.
The language in the letters sent to Pinellas and Hillsborough are largely identical to the one sent to St. Pete. The Pinellas audit is set to take place this week, on Thursday and Friday, while the Hillsborough audit is slated for next week, on Monday and Tuesday and just ahead of St. Pete’s audit.
Broward County and the city of Gainesville are also under review.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Feb. 24 establishing DOGE, with a mission to enforce fiscal accountability across local governments.
Newly sworn-in Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia is leading the charge. He joined DeSantis in Fort Lauderdale last week to preview the effort.
“There is a new era of accountability in Florida when it comes to wasteful spending,” Ingoglia said at the time.
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