PALM COAST, Fla.- Today, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced over $59 million in the Flagler County budget as “excessive, wasteful spending”. The county has the highest budget increase among the past fifteen local governments that have been reviewed by the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO) with a 119.2% increase. CFO Ingoglia is recommending that Flagler County offer immediate property tax relief to the taxpayers.   

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said, ““The budget increase we have seen in Flagler County represents the single largest increase we have seen out of the 16 spending reviews have conducted so far, and it should concern every single taxpayer in this county. Taxpayers deserve to know exactly where their money is going, and they deserve the confidence that is being spent wisely. It’s the hard-working taxpayers who are left footing the bill for this reckless and irresponsible spending. This isn’t a partisan issue, this is about protecting taxpayers, plain and simple. Time and time again these spending reviews are proving to us that meaningful property tax reform isn’t just possible, it’s necessary.”

Skylar Zander, State Director of Americans for Prosperity, said, “Nowadays, being a homeowner in Florida seems more unattainable than ever. Property tax reform is urgently needed for hard-working Floridians who want to purchase their first home. I am grateful for CFO Ingoglia’s mission to expose excessive spending and fight for meaningful property tax relief.” 

FAFO’s findings revealed that Flagler County’s General Fund Budget has increased by $110,241,921 between Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-2020 and FY 2025-2026. For every new person who moved to Flagler County, the budget increased by $3,385.39 and for a family of four, the budget increased by $13,541.56. 

Over the past six years, Flagler County has added 80 full-time administrative employees to accommodate a 32,564 increase in population growth.  

Flagler County could apply a 1.40 millage reduction without disrupting any essential services provided to citizens. If the county applied FAFO’s recommendations, homeowners could save: 

• A taxable home value of $400,000 would save $558 per year  
• A taxable home value of $500,000 would save $698 per year  
• A taxable home value of $600,000 would save $838 per year  

CFO Ingoglia has uncovered over $2.08 billion in excessive and wasteful spending in the General Fund Budget over the past two fiscal years across sixteen 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.