Florida
Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia Targets Orange County Over $300 Million in Alleged Wasteful Spending
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Blaise Ingoglia announced that more than $300 million in the 2025-2026 Orange County budget has been identified as “excessive and wasteful spending,” as part of an ongoing statewide review of local government finances.
According to the Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight, Orange County’s General Fund Budget has increased by 66.06% since 2019. Last year, the CFO’s office identified nearly $200 million in what it described as excessive spending in the county’s 2024-2025 budget.
Ingoglia said the continued increase in spending highlights the need for property tax reform across Florida.
“Last September, my office revealed that Orange County’s local government officials were irresponsibly spending taxpayer dollars,” Ingoglia said in a statement. “Not only did they not heed our warning, but they doubled down on excessive spending. The taxpayers are suffering the consequences of their wasteful spending problem. The time for property tax reform is now.”
ORANGE COUNTY BUDGET GROWTH
State officials reported that Orange County’s General Fund Budget increased by $688,768,908 since 2020, while the county’s population grew by 131,538 residents during that same period.
According to the report, for every family of four that moved to Orange County, the budget increased by approximately $20,945.
The Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight also stated that Orange County has spent an estimated $747.5 million in excessive or wasteful expenditures over the last six years.
PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROPOSAL
The report claims Orange County could reduce its millage rate by 1.22 mills without disrupting essential county services. If implemented, homeowners could see annual savings based on taxable property values:
- A taxable home value of $300,000 could save approximately $365 annually.
- A taxable home value of $400,000 could save approximately $486 annually.
- A taxable home value of $500,000 could save approximately $608 annually.
The findings come as Florida leaders continue discussing broader statewide property tax reform initiatives focused on reducing the burden on homeowners.
STATEWIDE FISCAL OVERSIGHT EFFORT
Ingoglia said his office has now uncovered more than $2.4 billion in excessive and wasteful government spending statewide. He pledged to continue reviewing local government budgets and advocating for transparency and accountability in taxpayer spending.
Americans for Prosperity also voiced support for the effort.
“CFO Ingoglia continues to keep his foot on the gas when it comes to identifying wasteful spending within local governments,” said Greg Ungru of Americans for Prosperity. “Taxpayers deserve transparency, especially as Orange County has continued to throw away money over the last six years.”
Republican defeats Democrat David Jolly following a campaign backed by Black community leaders, including Gainesville Democrat Cynthia Chestnut.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won Florida’s governor’s race Tuesday, defeating Democrat David Jolly and becoming the first Black person elected to lead the state. NBC News projected Donalds as the winner of the historic contest.
With 99% of the expected vote counted, Donalds received 4,113,531 votes, or 50.1%, compared with 3,996,073 votes, or 48.7%, for Jolly, according to NBC News Decision Desk results. Donalds led by 117,458 votes, approximately 1.4 percentage points. The election-night totals remained unofficial.
Donalds will succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis, keeping the governor’s office in Republican hands. His campaign paired conservative policy positions with outreach to Black voters and support from community leaders, including some Democrats.
LIVE from Ft. Lauderdale – Byron Donalds Election Night Watch Party https://t.co/kAF1omsegf
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) November 4, 2026
A historic first for Florida and the nation
Donalds becomes the first Black Republican elected governor in the United States, according to The Washington Post’s election coverage.
He is not the first Black Republican to serve as a governor. Republican P.B.S. Pinchback assumed Louisiana’s governorship during Reconstruction in 1872, becoming the nation’s first Black governor without winning an election to that office.
Virginia Democrat L. Douglas Wilder became the first Black person popularly elected governor in 1989 and took office in 1990. Donalds’ victory establishes a new milestone for Florida and the Republican Party.
Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut, a longtime public servant whose political career has spanned city, county and state government. Source Cynthia Moore Chestnut
Black leaders’ endorsements preceded historic win
Black elected officials, pastors, business owners and civic leaders became a visible part of Donalds’ campaign.
More than two dozen supporters launched the Florida Coalition of Black Leaders for Donalds to back the congressman and his running mate, Bryan Avila. Its members included sheriffs, lawmakers and educators, reflecting an effort to build support through established community networks.
Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut delivered one of the campaign’s most prominent endorsements across party lines.
Chestnut, a Black Democrat and former state representative, supported Donalds despite disagreements with some of his policies. She said her decision reflected her judgment about Black leadership and frustration with Democrats’ selection of Jolly over Black and Hispanic candidates.
“I want to see a Black governor of Florida in my lifetime,” Chestnut said in a statement reported by WCJB.
Her endorsement drew criticism from Democratic state Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis, who cited Donalds’ voting-rights record and challenged the rationale for supporting him. The dispute highlighted differences among Black leaders over representation, party loyalty and public policy.
Donalds’ victory fulfilled the historic outcome Chestnut sought. However, available election-night reporting does not establish how many votes those endorsements generated or whether they determined the result.
Affordability shaped the campaign
The contest also centered on household expenses, particularly housing and homeowners insurance costs in a hurricane-prone state.
Jolly, a former Republican congressman running as a Democrat, sought to attract voters dissatisfied with rising costs. Donalds emphasized affordability, public safety and educational opportunity while defending continued Republican leadership.
The candidates offered different approaches to large data centers. Jolly supported a moratorium on new hyperscale facilities, pointing to environmental and public-health concerns. Donalds favored local decisions about where facilities should be built and said their operations should not raise residents’ utility bills.
Republican advantages faced a competitive challenge
Jolly faced substantial obstacles, including a Republican voter-registration advantage of roughly 1.5 million and Donalds’ stronger fundraising position.
President Donald Trump campaigned with Donalds during the race’s final days. DeSantis also endorsed him, and Donalds portrayed his candidacy as a continuation of the outgoing governor’s approach.
Despite those advantages, polling indicated a competitive contest. A University of North Florida survey conducted Oct. 12-19 showed Donalds ahead 49% to 47%, a difference within the poll’s margin of error.
From state lawmaker to governor-elect
Donalds served in the Florida House before winning election to Congress in 2020. He subsequently became a nationally recognized conservative voice and Trump ally.
He is scheduled to take office Jan. 5, 2027, with affordability among the central challenges awaiting his administration.
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