CFO Blaise Ingoglia announces legislative proposal to protect taxpayers and codify FAFO

Press release from Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia

Tampa, Fla. — Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia announced his legislative priority to increase local government transparency and to formally establish the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO) in Florida Statute.   

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said, “After exposing more than $1.86 billion in wasteful and excessive spending by local governments, it is clear that the taxpayers are demanding accountability and transparency from our local governments. Floridians are suffering because of rising property taxes and the ever-increasing cost of government. My legislative proposal will codify much-needed reforms that will positively impact future generations. Government grows when people stop watching and bureaucrats stop caring. Through my proposal, we will ensure that someone is always watching how your hard-earned tax dollars are spent.” 

Senator Nick DiCeglie said, “Ensuring that local governments are accountable to the people that they serve is vital. Reckless government spending is negatively impacting Florida families, but through the CFO’s legislative proposal, we will bring accountability back to the checkbooks of local governments. I thank CFO Ingoglia for his leadership, and I look forward to getting this legislation passed.” 

Representative Monique Miller said, “I’m proud to stand with the CFO to unveil some of the most important legislation we will see this year. We are taking a clear and necessary step to restore accountability, discipline, and basic fairness to local governments in Florida. Thank you CFO Ingoglia for your commitment to fiscal responsibility and for working with me to put the taxpayers first. The CFO’s leadership in uncovering billions in wasted taxpayer money in these audits has revealed just how urgently needed this legislation is.”  

Jeff Kottkamp, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Florida Tax Watch, said, “Ensuring that tax dollars are used wisely is our core mission at TaxWatch, and we base our efforts on facts and data. We are proud to support CFO Ingoglia as he works to bring even more transparency and accountability to the ways in which local governments are spending Floridians’ tax dollars. We support this legislation, and we look forward to its passage.”  

The CFO’s legislative proposal:  

• Codifies the “Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight” in Florida statute to increase accountability and transparency in local government and make this effort a long-term, permanent initiative.  
• Requires both state and local government employees to complete FAFO training on how to report waste, fraud, and abuse.  
• Requires each local government to submit an annual Financial Efficiency Report.  
• Grants government employees, contractors, subcontractors, and taxpayers whistleblower protection if they contact DFS to report waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. 
• Allows DFS to pursue financial penalties from local governments if they don’t respond to inquiries promptly, including by withholding any state funds until they do. 
• Obligates local governments to upload all government contracts into the state’s FACTS system or something similar that is searchable and indexed. 
• Codifies the ability of Florida’s CFO to recommend the removal of any elected official who is found to have committed financial abuse, malfeasance, or misfeasance.  
• Requires DFS to audit local governments if they propose to raise taxes via referendum.