St. Pete Residents Protest Florida DOGE on First Day of Audit

‘Egregious’ waste in government: Three things to know about Florida DOGE’s latest efforts

Florida DOGE is aiming to find what it deems as wasteful, unnecessary spending by counties and cities across the state. And new details are surfacing about the scrutiny ahead. Earlier this summer, municipalities received requests from the state Department of Government Efficiency to provide information on all revenue and expenses. In recent weeks, DOGE officials began conducting follow-up inquiries that have included visits to local government o…

St. Pete DOGE audit enters second day with Blaise Ingoglia ‘hell-bent’ on tax relief

'It’s political retaliation to tax-and-spend politicians who will not give tax relief.'

St. Petersburg residents rally against Florida DOGE visits

Dozens of people gathered at City Hall on Wednesday to protest Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia’s DOGE review.

St. Pete residents protest Florida DOGE on first day of audit

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A team of auditors with the Florida DOGE arrived Wednesday morning at the St. Petersburg City Hall. This is a two-day effort to comb through the city’s finances in person and ask city staff follow-up questions. Hours after the team arrived, protestors were at City Hall to express their concerns. One of them was Mary McMullen. “We don't need them telling us how to spend our money and how we should live,” McMullen sai…

State audit of St. Petersburg sparks heated exchange at City Hall

Protesters gathered outside at noon and returned later in the day, upset that the state is questioning budget decisions made by their local elected officials.

As Florida DOGE comes to St. Petersburg, local residents push back

Citizens protesting Florida DOGE in front of City Hall in St. Petersburg on Aug. 13, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)ST. PETERSBURG — State-appointed auditors came to St. Petersburg Wednesday to begin two days reviewing spending by Mayor Ken Welch and the majority Democratic-led City Council. Confronting them was a group of local residents in front of City Hall who declared they didn’t trust what the DeSantis administration says is t…