In a significant revelation, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia has identified $470 million in what he terms excessive and wasteful spending within Miami-Dade County’s 2026-2026 budget. This announcement follows a similar review from the previous year, which uncovered $302 million in excessive spending in the county’s General Fund budget. Ingoglia is calling on county officials to eliminate this spending and provide much-needed tax relief to residents.

The findings, reported by the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversightindicate that Miami-Dade County’s budget has surged by over $1.07 billion in recent years, while the population has grown by 5.72%or 154,248 people. This disproportionate increase in spending has raised concerns about fiscal responsibility and the burden on taxpayers.

Three Years of Excessive Spending

Over the past three years, Miami-Dade County has accumulated $807.4 million in excessive spending. Ingoglia’s office highlights that for every family of four that moved into the county, the budget increased by $27,969.96. This trend underscores the need for property tax reform, which voters will have the opportunity to address in the upcoming November election.

Ingoglia emphasizes the importance of property tax reformstating, “In Fiscal Year 2026-2026 alone, Miami-Dade County excessively and wastefully spent $470 million in taxpayer funds, and over the last three years they have excessively and wastefully spent more than $800 million, showing that local governments won’t stop spending unless they are forced to. That is why property tax reform is necessary, and the voters have the opportunity to vote on it in November. Let’s make Florida more affordable.“

Potential Tax Savings for Homeowners

The report suggests that Miami-Dade County could reduce its millage rate by 0.83 mills without impacting fundamental services. If adopted, this reduction could lead to significant annual savings for homeowners:

  • A taxable home value of $500,000 could save $413 per year.
  • A taxable home value of $600,000 could save $496 per year.
  • A taxable home value of $700,000 could save $579 per year.

These potential savings highlight the impact that responsible fiscal management can have on the local community.

Support from Taxpayer Advocacy Groups

The findings have garnered praise from taxpayer advocacy groups, such as Americans for Prosperity. Greg Ungru of the organization commended Ingoglia’s efforts, stating, “Thank you, CFO Ingoglia, for continuing the fight for Florida’s taxpayers and bringing transparency to the citizens of Miami-Dade County. We must ensure that our local officials remain fiscally responsible and good stewards of taxpayer dollars.“

Ingoglia’s office has identified over $3.1 billion in excessive or wasteful spending statewide. As part of his role as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Ingoglia plans to continue reviewing local government budgets to ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency.