PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — In the Tampa Bay area, new initiatives are being implemented to enhance the efficiency of local governments. On Thursday, the Florida Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, visited Pinellas County.
The DOGE team set up in the fourth-floor conference room of the Pinellas County courthouse. A sign indicated that a meeting was in session, and it was noted by 8 On Your Side that media coverage of the visit was not allowed.
“There’s just a lot of people in a big conference room looking at spreadsheets and budgets,” said County Commissioner Vince Nowicki.
Nowicki said the county has budgeted for positions it can’t fill, and the government is working efficiently without those positions.
“I hope they suggest some budget cuts and decreases,” said Nowicki. “There are plenty of areas that could be streamlined.”
On Wednesday, Commission Chairman Brian Scott communicated with the Florida DOGE team through a letter. It stated, “We align with your commitment and have already adopted measures to improve efficiency and reduce costs.”
The letter highlighted that Pinellas County maintains the lowest debt levels compared to similar counties and addressed inaccuracies from DOGE concerning property taxes and general funding expenses.
“I’m proud they stood firm and challenged the inaccuracies,” commented State Representative Michele Rayner. “It’s crucial to articulate that we understand our operations and prioritize the welfare of our residents.”
The representative argues the state should be solving the housing crisis and working to bring down everyday costs.
“Ultimately, it really feels disingenuous. It doesn’t feel like it’s about the people in the community. It feels like it’s about targeting democratic lead cities and counties,” Rayner said.
Nowicki said the letter was just “pointing fingers” and “a lot of double talk.” He said DOGE is what people at the local, state, and federal levels voted for.
“Anytime you have sunshine and scrutiny, that’s good governance. So anybody that says more eyes looking at how taxpayer dollars are spent is a bad thing, I think they’re the problem,” Nowicki said.
It is not clear when the assessment from DOGE will be made public. DOGE is expected to be in other Tampa Bay counties next week.
