Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia has been exposing wasteful government spending across the state for months.
Local officials keep insisting they need every taxpayer dollar they're collecting.
And Florida’s CFO just caught Nassau County red-handed with this staggering number that proves excessive spending.
Ingoglia Drops $53 Million Bombshell on Small County
Ingoglia held a press conference Wednesday in Fernandina Beach and the numbers he revealed left jaws on the floor.
Nassau County overspent by more than $53 million over the past five years.
The budget increased by 96% while the population grew just 18%.
For every new person who moved to Nassau County, the budget went up $5,797.
For a family of four, that's $23,188 in new spending per family.
"For a small county, $3M is a lot, $53M is unacceptable," Ingoglia said.
This is the highest percentage increase Ingoglia's found across 12 counties his office has audited.
Nassau isn't even close to being Florida's biggest county.
https://twitter.com/CFOIngoglia/status/2014059774288048570?s=20
The FAFO Audit Shows Clear Pattern
Ingoglia's Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight audits compare current budgets to 2019-2020 baselines adjusted for inflation and population growth.
If spending exceeds what population and inflation justify, that's wasteful spending taxpayers are funding.
Across 11 jurisdictions before Nassau, Ingoglia identified $1.86 billion in alleged wasteful spending.
Nassau's $53 million puts the total over $1.9 billion.
Ingoglia said Nassau County could lower its millage rate by 0.95 mills without touching essential services.
A home valued at $400,000 would save $380 per year.
A $600,000 home saves $570 per year.
"You didn't raise taxes as much as you could, but you still raised them an awful lot," Ingoglia told county officials.
The county used what Ingoglia called a "modified rollback rate" to jack up property taxes while claiming restraint.
https://twitter.com/GovGoneWild/status/2014162245551337572?s=20
Nassau County Commissioners Push Back
County Commissioner John Martin said he couldn't watch the press conference because the video got pulled down before he could view it.
Martin called the approach "shock jock tactics" and wanted auditors to meet with county staff privately instead of public announcements.
But Ingoglia's been exposing wasteful spending across Florida for months and county officials keep making the same excuses.
Broward County Commissioner Steven Geller, who served 20 years in the Legislature, called the numbers "fictitious. Made-up. Phony. False" when Ingoglia claimed Broward wasted $189 million.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings blamed "fuzzy math" for allegations his county overspent by millions.
Palm Beach County Administrator Joe Abruzzo called the figures "fictitious" and demanded detailed calculations.
Local officials get caught spending way beyond what population and inflation justify, then attack the methodology instead of addressing the actual spending.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2001309237629112773?s=20
Government Hiring Spree Drives Costs
Ingoglia pointed to the core issue.
"The expansion of the administrative state," Ingoglia said. "It is the addition of full-time government employees."
Nassau County used growth as an excuse to balloon the budget instead of keeping government lean.
The county just voted to nearly double impact fees over four years.
County Commissioner John Martin defended those increases saying "growth needs to pay for itself."
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier pushed back, questioning whether population growth alone justifies extraordinary fee increases.
Meanwhile, residents face rising property taxes, new parking fees in Fernandina Beach, and increased utility taxes.
"If you were going to pay government all this money in terms of property taxes and sales taxes, local option sales tax, you're going to pay gas tax, when you're on you cell phone, you're going to pay communications service tax, what the hell do we need to add parking fees on top of that," Ingoglia said. "They should have enough money."
https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/2014325969998512294?s=20
DeSantis Property Tax Push Builds Momentum
Ingoglia's statewide audit tour is laying groundwork for a constitutional amendment likely headed to the 2026 ballot.
Governor Ron DeSantis and Ingoglia are building the case that local governments are overtaxing residents.
Florida's paid down nearly 50% of the state's historic debt under DeSantis.
The state maxed out its rainy-day fund and maintains the lowest ratio of state government workers to population among all states.
State government just completed its second consecutive year of reduced spending.
Local governments are moving in the opposite direction.
Ingoglia proposed legislation in December to make FAFO audits permanent, standardize budget reporting, and give his office authority to recommend removal of officials for financial malfeasance.
"Protecting taxpayers should not have an expiration date, and neither should FAFO," Ingoglia declared.
Small business owner Jeff Freese explained how rising property taxes hurt the economy.
https://twitter.com/GovGoneWild/status/2011040792715149353?s=20
"Small business owners like me are reliant on customers having expendable income to spend at our businesses," Freese stated. "Rising property taxes have a cascading negative effect on businesses, our employees, and small business owners."
Nassau County officials will eventually have to answer to voters if they ignore these findings.
More than 60% of Floridians support property tax relief according to surveys from the James Madison Institute.
A 96% budget increase for 18% population growth is government bloat, plain and simple.
Taxpayers watching counties like Nassau spend their money like drunken sailors while state government cuts spending know exactly what needs to happen in 2026.
Sources:
- Frank Kopylov, "Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia accuses Nassau County of $53M in overspending during statewide audit tour," Florida News, January 21, 2026.
- Florida Department of Financial Services, "Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia Announces Over $53 Million in Nassau County Budget as 'Excessive, Wasteful Spending,'" Press Release, January 21, 2026.
- Mike Lednovich, "Florida CFO claims Nassau County overspent by $53 million," Fernandina Observer, January 21, 2026.
- Zach Wilcox, "Florida CFO calls out Nassau County for increasing government spending," First Coast News, January 21, 2026.
- Mitch Perry, "County leaders get candid in discussing getting 'DOGed' by CFO's office," Florida Phoenix, November 23, 2025.
- Mitch Perry, "CFO Ingoglia unveils legislation to make local officials more accountable," Florida Phoenix, December 18, 2025.
