CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia arrived in Lecanto today with a sharp message for local leadership: Citrus County is sitting on more than $39 million in excessive General Fund spending. According to a new analysis, the county’s budget has ballooned by a staggering 72.8% over just the last six years, prompting the CFO to demand immediate property tax relief for residents.
The numbers released by the CFO’s office highlight a significant gap between government growth and community needs. Since the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the General Fund has surged by $76,862,269. During that same window, the population grew by 15,314 people—a 10.09% increase.
When broken down, the math shows the budget grew by $5,019 for every single new resident, or roughly $20,076 for a family of four.
“We have now identified over $2 billion dollars in reckless spending caused by local government officials who have forgotten that they are spending taxpayer funds,” Ingoglia said. “My role as CFO is to put an end to this irresponsible behavior by exposing wasteful spending to the taxpayers. Our analysis shows that property tax relief is very much possible and desperately needed.”
READ: Florida Sen. Rick Scott Issues Warning On D.C. Spending: $40 Trillion Time Bomb
Staffing levels have also come under scrutiny. While Citrus County added 278 full-time positions since 2019, data shows only 64 of those roles were designated for first responders. Jeff Kottkamp, President and CEO of Florida TaxWatch, backed the findings, noting that local spending is currently outpacing both population growth and inflation.
“Auditing local governments is the necessary first step to right-sizing budgets and ultimately being able to provide homeowners with meaningful property tax relief,” Kottkamp said.
The Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO) suggested the county could cut its millage rate by 2.23 mills without touching essential services. For a homeowner with a taxable property value of $400,000, that reduction would mean $894 in annual savings.
Those with a $600,000 taxable value could see their bills drop by $1,341 per year.
This investigation into Citrus County is part of a broader state-wide initiative. To date, Ingoglia has identified more than $2 billion in what he labels excessive spending across 15 different local governments.
As the upcoming budget process begins, the CFO is urging elected officials to prioritize “transparent governance” and return the surplus to the taxpayers.
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