A massive battle over local tax dollars is brewing in Jacksonville. Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia took center stage today, flagging more than $275 million in the city’s 2025-2026 budget as “excessive, wasteful spending.” This latest announcement is part of an ongoing clash, following Ingoglia’s callout of $199 million in allegedly wasteful spending in the city’s budget last year.
According to state tracking, Jacksonville’s General Fund Budget has surged by 61% since 2019, climbing by over $840 million. While the city’s population grew by roughly 10.5%—adding nearly 100,000 new residents—state data reveals that for every family of four moving into the area, the city budget expanded by $33,743.36.
The Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight (FAFO) reports that Jacksonville has outspent its index by more than $623 million over the last six years.
State officials argue these rising numbers directly impact local families and that the city could easily trim its property tax rates.
“Once again, the City of Jacksonville has proven that they do not care about taxpayers,” CFO Ingoglia said. “Since Mayor Deegan took office, she has continued to recklessly and irresponsibly spend taxpayer dollars. Property tax reform is not only doable, it is necessary, and Floridians will be able to choose to keep more of their hard-earned money out of the hands of government come November.”
Financial watchdog groups have also backed the findings. Greg Ungru of Americans for Prosperity noted that tracking metrics are vital for keeping local leadership accountable.
“The FAFO methodology has highlighted fiscal responsibility by making sure the local government works for the constituents they serve, not the other way around,” Ungru said. “Today, the numbers have shown that Jacksonville has continued to take advantage of the taxpayers. I want to thank CFO Ingoglia for his continued oversight to mitigate overspending in local government’s budgets.”
According to the state’s review, Jacksonville could drop its millage rate by 1.49 mills without cutting back on any essential city services. If local officials decided to clear the way for that reduction, the savings for homeowners would scale based on property values. A home with a taxable value of $300,000 would see annual savings of $447, a $400,000 home would save $595, and a $500,000 home would keep an extra $744 per year.
To date, Ingoglia’s state-wide reviews have identified more than $2.7 billion in spending he deems wasteful. As Florida’s top financial watchdog and a member of the Florida Cabinet, the CFO stated he plans to keep investigating local budgets across the state to push for tighter fiscal management.
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