Florida’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has set its sights on Miami-Dade, demanding a sweeping set of records to scrutinize how the county reached a $402 million budget deficit despite surging revenues.
In a letter (viewable below) to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, DOGE Team Lead Eric Soskin, and Leda Kelly, Director of the Florida Office of Policy and Budget, requested detailed documentation spanning county contracts, salaries, climate-related spending, grant allocations and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) 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 has until Aug. 13 to comply and, according to the Monday letter, faces financial penalties for noncompliance.
Levine Cava responded Tuesday morning, releasing a statement defending her administration’s fiscal practices and transparency, noting that Miami-Dade’s property tax rate is at its lowest since 1982 and that the county regularly undergoes external audits.
She previously said about half of the budget shortfall is due to funding demands from the offices of the Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections and Tax Collector — which are newly independent from the the Mayor’s administration, but still depend on the county general fund — and the Clerk and Property Appraiser, which have new officeholders who are overhauling their departments’ operations.
Levine Cava said Miami-Dade “stands ready to cooperate — but to the extent that the review adds value without disrupting governance” and suggested that the probe may be more for political theater than to boost efficiency.
“We welcome transparency with the state and our community and are confident in the integrity of our operations,” she said. “But there is no need for duplication, nor for politically driven investigations that could divert staff time away from critical services.”
DOGE’s letter was specific and far-reaching. The five-page document requested, among other things, details on:
— Contract spending over $75,000.
— Promotion and compensation policies since Fiscal Year 2019.
— DEI job roles, training materials and grant funding.
— “Green New Deal” initiatives, including electric vehicle purchases and solar infrastructure.
— Real estate appraisals and lease agreements.
— Bicycle, pedestrian and “traffic calming” projects.
The review of Miami-Dade’s spending follows similar probes elsewhere in the state and may appear to some as an expansion of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ broader effort to cast Democrat-led counties like Broward, Duval, Orange and Palm Beach, as fiscally irresponsible.
But Florida DOGE has made clear its focus extends beyond blue counties. While Broward and Gainesville were first to fall within the task force’s proverbial crosshairs, Ingoglia has plans to audit Manatee County — a Republican stronghold — and other GOP counties like Hillsborough and Pinellas.
DOGE, which DeSantis created in February by executive order, is modeled after the identically named federal initiative previously led by billionaire Elon Musk under President Donald Trump.
Florida’s version, operating from the Governor’s Office, aims to identify waste at all levels of government. The task force has the authority to fine noncompliant governments $1,000 per day, per unmet request.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, a vocal DeSantis ally, met with DOGE officials last week and later posted a video supporting the probe of his county. After the Miami Herald’s Doug Hanks shared the Florida DOGE letter to Miami-Dade and Levine Cava’s response Tuesday, Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, Levine Cava’s predecessor as Mayor, slammed the county’s budget shortfall.
“As Mayor,” he said on X, “I worked to cut wasteful spending & kept our property taxes low. In just a few years, Mayor Levine (Cava) has turned our good stewardship into a massive deficit.”
Levine Cava has spent recent weeks defending her proposed budget, which maintains current tax rates but introduces layoffs, service cuts and fee hikes to close the funding gap.
She warns that further tax cuts would result in even deeper service reductions.
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