Ron DeSantis has been shaking up Florida politics for years.
His appointments keep delivering results conservatives demanded.
And Ron DeSantis just gave his handpicked CFO one major endorsement that drove Democrats into a rage.
Ingoglia's waste-hunting crusade infuriates liberals across Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis made it official this week by endorsing Blaise Ingoglia for Florida Chief Financial Officer in next year's election.
DeSantis appointed Ingoglia to the CFO post in July after former CFO Jimmy Patronis left to win a congressional seat.
Since taking office, Ingoglia hasn't wasted a single day going after wasteful government spending at the local level.
The CFO has exposed $1.5 billion in excessive spending across just nine Florida counties and cities.¹
Palm Beach County alone was caught overspending by $344 million in a single year.²
Miami-Dade County officials got hammered for blowing through $302 million more than they needed.³
Manatee County saw its budget explode by nearly 70% in five years — wasteful spending Ingoglia called "the worst" he'd seen in his statewide tour.⁴
Democrats and their liberal allies in local government have been howling ever since Ingoglia started exposing their spending sprees.
They're furious that someone actually bothered to look at the numbers.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings called Ingoglia's findings "nonsensical."⁵
Palm Beach County officials demanded to know his "methodology" after getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar.⁶
The audits revealed local governments have been treating property tax revenues like a blank check.
Counties hired thousands of new bureaucrats while claiming they desperately needed more money from taxpayers.
Miami-Dade County added more than 2,800 employees over just five years while overtaxing residents by hundreds of millions.⁷
DeSantis calls Ingoglia "such a bulldog in favor of the taxpayers"
DeSantis didn't mince words when explaining why he's backing Ingoglia for a full term.
"We've never had anybody in state government who's been such a bulldog in favor of the taxpayers, who has held liberal mayors accountable for extravagant spending," DeSantis stated.⁸
The Governor noted that Ingoglia hasn't just met expectations since his appointment.
He's exceeded them by shifting the entire political debate toward property tax reform.
"All these guys talk, but very few of them deliver. Blaise has said what he's going to do, he's met those promises, and he's over-delivering," DeSantis explained.⁹
https://twitter.com/GovGoneWild/status/1998730106513100873?s=20
Ingoglia responded by saying he's "honored to be endorsed by America's Governor."
His campaign promises to keep Florida's economy strong while stopping wasteful spending in its tracks.
The DeSantis endorsement puts Ingoglia in a strong position heading into the Republican primary.
He faces state Representative Kevin Steele and several lesser-known candidates.
Steele has endorsements from U.S. Senator Rick Scott and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
But Steele's biggest problem is that he's running against a sitting CFO who already has a proven track record.
Ingoglia's Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight has been traveling to counties across the state exposing waste.
The audits factor in inflation and population growth to show how much local governments have inflated their budgets beyond what's actually needed.
Democrats hate this because it proves conservatives were right all along about bloated government spending.
Ingoglia explained his mission clearly: "Local governments are going to say that they need all this extra revenue. They don't. They want the extra revenue, but they don't need it. You know who needs it? You, the taxpayers who are footing the bill for large, bloated, excessive government."¹⁰
https://twitter.com/GovGoneWild/status/1997021363735769441?s=20
The CFO pointed out that Palm Beach County could save homeowners roughly $300 per year just by cutting the documented waste.¹¹
Seminole County could have easily cut property taxes by 0.81 mills and still delivered essential services if they'd controlled their spending.¹²
Instead, these counties raised taxes while hiding their wasteful spending from voters.
Ingoglia's bringing that waste into the sunlight.
Florida liberals are panicking because they know Ingoglia's audit trail leads straight to 2026 when voters will decide on a constitutional amendment to slash or eliminate property taxes.
DeSantis and Ingoglia have been laying the groundwork for months by proving local governments don't need all that money.
The establishment knows what's coming.
That's why Democrats are fighting so hard to discredit Ingoglia's findings.
But the numbers don't lie.
And Florida taxpayers are tired of watching their property tax bills explode while county commissioners claim poverty.
DeSantis made the right call by backing Ingoglia.
The CFO has proven he's exactly the kind of conservative fighter Florida needs watching the state's finances.
His audit tour exposed waste that lazy politicians hoped nobody would ever notice.
Now Florida voters get to decide if they want more of that accountability or if they'd rather let local governments keep raiding their wallets.
¹ "Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia Announces Over $302 Million in Miami-Dade County Budget as 'Excessive, Wasteful Spending,'" Florida CFO Office, October 30, 2025.
² "Audit finds Palm Beach County overspending by $344 million, Florida CFO says," WPTV, December 4, 2025.
³ "Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia Announces Over $302 Million in Miami-Dade County Budget as 'Excessive, Wasteful Spending,'" Florida CFO Office, October 30, 2025.
⁴ "Florida CFO calls Manatee County's budget 'the worst' so far in FAFO audits," MySuncoast, October 16, 2025.
⁵ "Florida's CFO says wasteful spending will be 'undeniable' once DOGE audit findings are released," WUSF, August 25, 2025.
⁶ "Palm Beach County officials question Florida CFO's overspending accusations," South Florida Sun Sentinel, December 5, 2025.
⁷ "Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia Announces Over $302 Million in Miami-Dade County Budget as 'Excessive, Wasteful Spending,'" Florida CFO Office, October 30, 2025.
⁸ "Ron DeSantis backs 'Bulldog' Blaise Ingoglia for CFO," Florida Politics, December 10, 2025.
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ "Florida CFO claims $344M in overspending by Palm Beach County government," South Florida Sun Sentinel, December 4, 2025.
¹¹ "Audit finds Palm Beach County overspending by $344 million, Florida CFO says," WPTV, December 4, 2025.
¹² "Seminole County has overspent by $48 million over past 5 years, state CFO alleges," Florida Phoenix, October 7, 2025.
