MIAMI, Fla.- Today, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia announced that the City of Miami is spending over $94 million excessively and wastefully above the amount that would account for population growth and inflation. CFO Ingoglia is encouraging the City of Miami to listen to the taxpayers and take steps to provide property tax relief and reduce wasteful spending.

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said, “Due to local government’s fiscal irresponsibly, a financial burden has been placed on the shoulders of the taxpayers. This burden must be rectified, and local governments must take steps to provide property tax relief to residents. Uncovering the reckless spending of the City of Miami is step one to ensure that voters can hold local bureaucrats and career politicians accountable.”

David Santiago, Strategic Director of LIBRE-Florida, said, “The families that live in Miami have had enough of their government taking their hard-earned money while continuing to spend it wastefully. Florida has long been a state that has put families first, and it is time for Miami to take the necessary steps to ensure that we remain a family-friendly place to live.”

Rachel Moscoso, Deputy State Director of Americans for Prosperity, said, “Ensuring that Floridians are able to live the American dream is exactly why we must see change in our local government spending habits. We are thankful for CFO Ingoglia’s work to expose wasteful spending and to fight for lower property taxes for Floridians.”

Thomas Conway, small business owner, said, “Over the last 10 years property taxes have increased by 100%. As a small business owner, we have seen a clear correlation between the increase in property taxes and the decrease in discretionary spending. Our local government has siphoned and wasted away the precious dollars our customers need to keep our businesses open. I am immensely grateful to CFO Ingoglia for recognizing this abuse and fighting on behalf of small businesses to make Florida an affordable place to live and work.”

The General Fund Budget of the City of Miami has increased by over $358 million from Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-2020, amounting to 44.29%. Without impacting any of the services provided to taxpayers, the city can reduce its millage rate by 0.50 mills. If the City of Miami implemented this reduction, homeowners would save:

• A taxable home value of $400,000 would save $201 per year
• A taxable home value of $500,000 would save $251 per year
• A taxable home value of $600,000 would save $301 per year.

Since 2020, the population of the City of Miami has increased by an estimated 23,379. For every person that moved to the city, the budget increased by $15,320 and for a family of four the budget increased by $61,280.

CFO Ingoglia has found over $1.1 billion in excessive, wasteful spending in the FY 2024-2025 General Fund Budget across eight local governments. CFO Ingoglia plans to continue to expose excessive, wasteful spending across the state as part of his role as Chief Financial Officer of Florida.