ST. CLOUD, Fla.- Today, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced over $165 million in the Osceola County budget as “excessive, wasteful spending.” The county’s General Fund budget has increased by 102.35% since Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-2020. 

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said, “A budget increase of this magnitude for Osceola County is further proof that local governments have not been good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Local officials would rather keep their large, bloated budgets than offer meaningful tax relief to their residents. The excessive wasteful spending identified in Osceola County to the tune of $165 million is money that could have remained in the pockets of the families that live here. This is why voters will finally be able to get real property tax relief on the ballot in November.”

David Santiago, Strategic Director of LIBRE-Florida, said, “Floridians are suffering at the hands of local government growing faster than inflation and population. Thank you, CFO Ingoglia, for holding local government officials accountable and remaining steadfast in protecting the taxpayers.”

Over the past six years, the budget has increased by $380,749,847. The population has grown by 125,883 people, which represents an increase of 32.39%. For every family of four that moved to Osceola County, the budget increased by $12,098.52.

The Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight (FAFO) uncovered that Osceola County can reduce its millage rate by 1.81 mills without cutting back on any essential services provided to residents. If the county chose to apply this deduction, homeowners could save:  

• A taxable home value of $300,000 would save $544 per year.  
• A taxable home value of $400,000 would save $725 per year.   
• A taxable home value of $500,000 would save $907 per year.

CFO Ingoglia has uncovered over $3.6 billion in excessive, wasteful spending. CFO Ingoglia plans to continue to expose excessive, wasteful spending across the state of part of his role as Chief Financial Officer of Florida