ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — State auditors are digging into how the City of Orlando is spending your money.
A 10-person team with the Florida Agency for Fiscal oversight, formerly known as Florida DOGE spent Monday collecting documents from City Hall.
In total, the state had 60 requests for records including how the city handles contracts, salary data, and how money has been spent on areas including Diversity Equity and Inclusion, environmental projects, and homeless services.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said staff had spent hours compiling the documents in total handing over about 27,000 files.
“We feel really good about how we’ve managed our financial status over the years,” said Dyer.
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia wrote in a letter to the city, “We are commissioning this review to better understand the spending being undertaken, and opportunities for improvement in Orlando.”
According to the agency, the city has kept the millage rate consistent, but property tax collections have gone up 55 percent in the last 5 years, outpacing both inflation and population growth.
It’s one of the reasons the state said Orlando joined a growing list of local governments being audited by DOGE.
Reviews are either underway or soon to begin in the following municipalities:
- Broward County
- Hillsborough County
- The City of Gainesville
- The City of Orlando
- Manatee County
- City of Jacksonville
- Orange County
Officials with the City of Orlando told Channel 9 the state’s visit Monday was smooth. Commissioner Tony Ortiz told Channel 9 he was confident the auditors will find the city has been a good steward of taxpayer funds.
“I think we have been very responsible. But they’re going to find out that every cent is accounted for in the city of Orlando,” said Ortiz.
City officials told Channel 9 that while property tax collections have increased, the city has had to keep up with rapid population growth which placed demands on city services including public safety.
The mayor added that a 55 percent increase in property tax collections in part came from new construction.
Channel 9s Sabrina Maggiore asked the mayor how that additional funding from property taxes was spent.
“Doing operational things, doing what we do as a city, providing police protection, fire protection. We’ve annexed property out in the east, so we’re having to build three additional fire stations out there,” said the mayor.
State auditors will return to Orlando City Hall Tuesday to finish collecting documents.
A report with findings is expected to be issued within 60 days.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
