One day after Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava confirmed her administration would cooperate with Florida’s investigation of local spending while expressing concerns about it being “politically driven,” the County Commission’s top member is rolling out the proverbial red carpet.
Miami-Dade Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez said in a statement that he looks forward to Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and other members of the Florida DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) poring over the county’s books.
He added that the County Commission has already taken steps to streamline county processes and will hold a “rare” special meeting Aug. 20 to “identify immediate budget cuts and reduce government waste.”
“As CFO Ingoglia and his team begin their information-gathering efforts, I want to personally welcome them and express my full support,” he said.
“We share the same goals — ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, improving operational transparency, and streamlining government functions.”
In a Monday letter to Levine Cava, Ingoglia and lead members of the Florida DOGE team requested detailed documentation spanning contracts, salaries, climate-related spending, grant allocations and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
They cited an annual county revenue increase of “nearly $3 billion” in Fiscal Year 2024 compared to Fiscal Year 2020, including more than $430 million in additional property tax revenues, in noting the state’s concern “about the $400M+ budget gap” Levine Cava announced last month.
Miami-Dade had until Aug. 13 to comply or face steep financial penalties, but Levine Cava responded Tuesday by saying the county “stands ready to cooperate,” but only “to the extent that the review adds value without disrupting governance.”
“We welcome transparency with the state and our community and are confident in the integrity of our operations,” she said in a statement. “But there is no need for duplication, nor for politically driven investigations that could divert staff time away from critical services.”
Other Florida DOGE probes are planned or ongoing in several other counties, including nearby Broward and Palm Beach.
In his statement Wednesday, Rodriguez noted that since he took over as Chair in December, the County Commission has created two new bodies — the Government Efficiency and Transparency Ad Hoc Committee, and the Special Task Force to Reduce Inefficiencies in Procurement (STRIP). He said under Appropriations Committee Chair Raquel Regalado, the panel is “actively working to ensure that every dollar in the County budget delivers measurable value to residents.”
“I invite the CFO’s team to attend (the Aug. 20) meeting,” he said. “It will offer valuable insights and underscore our commitment to transparency and results-driven governance.”
Rodriguez also urged Florida DOGE to collaborate with Regalado and Commissioner J.C. Bermudez, who chairs the county’s Government Efficiency and Transparency Ad Hoc Committee, and to “engage directly with all County Commissioners to gain a comprehensive understanding of operations across departments.”
Rodriguez is a Republican, as are Gov. Ron DeSantis, Ingoglia, Regalado and Bermudez. Levine Cava is a Democrat, as is Rodriguez’s predecessor as Commission Chair, Oliver Gilbert.
In his inaugural speech as Chair late last year, Rodriguez stressed the importance of analyzing how the County Commission oversees Miami-Dade’s roughly $13 billion annual budget.
“I want to reinvent how we look at government spending,” he said. “Every cent must be scrutinized.”
The Florida DOGE probe arrives as Levine Cava’s proposed budget calls for hundreds of layoffs, service cuts and fee hikes. It also follows Levine Cava’s order of a formal audit and tightened eligibility requirements for county nonprofit grants after questions arose about millions paid to an organization that runs a rodeo event Rodriguez hosts.
Coincidentally or not, Levine Cava received the Florida DOGE letter on the same day a new poll showed she would lead Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar in a theoretical 2026 matchup.
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