ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – When News 6 shared a story on Facebook about Florida’s chief financial officer chastising Orange County for what he termed “wasteful and excessive spending,” a wave of comments emerged, focusing on a single question: “What about Alligator Alcatraz?”
One commenter quipped, “I’ll raise ya Alligator Alcatraz on that one!” while another questioned, “Anything more wasteful than Alligator Alcatraz?”
Since taking office, CFO Blaise Ingoglia has been actively touring the state, scrutinizing local government expenditures.
In light of Ingoglia’s recent visit to Orange County, News 6 reached out to his team, passing on viewers’ inquiries about whether he intends to examine spending related to Alligator Alcatraz, a detention facility for immigrants located in the Everglades.
Rather than providing a straightforward answer, the CFO’s communications director offered a statement in response to the inquiry.
A communications director responded, but rather than answering ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’ she sent the following statement:
“In order to receive a federal reimbursement via FEMA, there is an extensive application and financial review process conducted by the federal government. We have full confidence in the Trump Administration’s financial review of Alligator Alcatraz.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a $608 million federal reimbursement for Alligator Alcatraz, but according to the Florida Phoenix, the state just received its first installment this month. The payment was for $58 million.
The costs associated with Alligator Alcatraz, which is slated to close less than a year after it first opened, have reportedly amounted to nearly $1 billion.
