SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Seminole County became the latest Central Florida government to be accused of overspending property taxes on Tuesday.
In a news conference, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said, based on his DOGE/FAFO audit team’s methodology, the county overspent by $48,445,891.
“Since 2019, the Seminole County General Fund budget has increased. $137 million. Now that is a 46.7% increase in their budget in just five years. That’s a big number. That huge increase,” Ingoglia said.
Ingoglia alleged the county’s budget growth exceeded inflation as well as the growth in population over that time period, saying, “the budget increased $5,402 for every family of four that moved into Seminole County.”
Still, Ingoglia says this was not based on an official DOGE audit, and no official audit of Seminole County is planned.
This comes as Seminole County officials approved its first property tax increase in 16 years, with the average taxpayer set to pay an extra $144 a year.
Staff have said the increase is necessary due to transit costs, state mandates without funding, inflation, and increasing costs in public safety personnel.
The county released a statement Tuesday afternoon:
Seminole County enjoys a quality of life unmatched in Florida. Our residents benefit from award-winning parks and libraries, exceptional public safety, and well-maintained infrastructure that reflects decades of responsible investment and planning.
While concerns were raised today about local budget growth, it’s important to understand the context behind the numbers. Inflation, rising costs for materials and energy, and the burden of unfunded mandates that force local governments to make up the shortfall. Seminole County alone accounts for approximately $150 million annually in such mandates.
The Board’s decision to approve a millage increase for FY 2025–26 was not made lightly. It was a necessary step to preserve essential public safety services that residents rely on every day, including the Sheriff’s Office, Fire Rescue, Emergency Management, Animal Services, and Emergency-911.
Seminole County remains committed to fiscal discipline, transparency, and delivering exceptional value to our taxpayers. Our focus is, and always will be, protecting the quality of life that makes Seminole County one of the most desirable places to live in Florida.
It also comes as Ingoglia and Gov. Ron DeSantis go after county and city governments across the state as part of their own campaign to reform property taxes, or do away with them altogether.
Ingoglia accused the Orange County government of overtaxing residents to the tune of $190 million, slamming the county as an example of wasteful government spending.
[WATCH BELOW: Florida CFO, Orange County mayor cite conflicting numbers in DOGE battle]
Orange County is one of about a dozen city and county governments that were targeted by Florida’s DOGE Task Force created by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year.
DOGE officials said it would be looking at items including but not limited to employee pay, DEI and homeless services.
News 6 will stream the news conference live at the top of this story.
[VIDEO BELOW: Orange County leaders react to state audit]