In the coming two weeks, Palm Beach County is slated for a detailed audit by a special team from the Governor’s office of government efficiency, established by Governor Ron DeSantis. This information was revealed through a communiqué received by the County Mayor, Maria Marino, last Thursday. The team, set to arrive in the county offices on August 18 and 19, will carry out a thorough investigation into the county’s financial records, regulations, and policies with the goal of identifying any wasteful practices.
The audit team has identified a number of areas that will be reviewed extensively. These areas notably include some of Governor DeSantis and President Donald Trump’s major areas of interest, such as the county’s programs related to climate change, diversity, equity, inclusion, and aid for the homeless population.
The county officials were provided with a comprehensive nine-page document detailing the necessary items for the team’s inquisition. Moreover, the team has sought permission to delve into county ‘data systems.’ Non-compliance or any omission of the requested documents may lead to significant fines, set at $1,000 per day.
Joe Abruzzo, the Incoming County Administrator set to commence his official duties on the second day of the audit team’s visit, stated confidently that the county is prepared and intends to accommodate all inquiries. He expressed no direct concerns about the impending visit, asserting, ‘It’s not always a negative.’
In fact, Abruzzo views the potential for improvement following the audit as beneficial. He shared his experience of calling upon the state to carry out an audit of the Clerk and Comptroller’s Office after his election to its leadership in 2020, recognizing the possibility for enhancing the department’s processes if any irregularities are revealed. However, Abruzzo also accepted that the impending review has caused unease among some county employees.
The audit team has also requested detailed accounts of the county’s endeavours in promoting diversity and inclusion, particularly focused on the operations at Mounts Botanical Garden. The institution operates in a county building, is run by the county, but receives considerable grants from a non-profit organization.
The officials’ request came with specific instructions to include ‘all actions taken in support of the policy for Diversity and Inclusion at Mounts Botanical Garden,’ dating back to January 1, 2023. This includes a report of policies, procedures, staffing changes, programming decisions, community outreach, communications, and the supporting roles played by other county departments in promoting or supporting the institution.
In addition to the diversity and inclusion inquiry, the team has shown interest in a comprehensive evaluation of the county’s measures associated with traffic calming devices, including existing installations and future plans. This appeared as a somewhat surprising item on the team’s agenda as it hasn’t raised eyebrows recently.
The state’s anti-‘climate change’ policy, advancement of the ‘Stop Woke Act’ to limit conversations around race, gender, and ethnicity, and a hard-line stance on the displacement of homeless individuals from public places, all driven by Governor DeSantis, likely play a part in the specificity of the audit. Additionally, the auditors will delve into details regarding top administrators’ salaries, the county’s contracting procedure, and its disposal of government property.
Since the audit team initiated their work in the middle of July, their information requests have progressively expanded. Similar to their operations in Broward and other counties, they frame Palm Beach County with allegations of mismanaging taxpayer money.
In their written communication to Mayor Marino, the team expressed concern over the county’s property tax collections, citing a significant surge of almost $480 million, or 50%, since 2020. This notable leap in tax revenue, they argue, does not align with the population growth observed during this time frame.
As per the county’s budget documents, it has about 4.72 employees for every 1,000 residents, a marginal increase from 4.58 in 2020. In the data presented by the county to the DOGE team, they revealed that while the county’s total population had grown by a modest 2.9%, its total budget had ballooned by a stark 35.6% to $8.8 billion since 2021.
The county’s budget, it should be noted, includes income streams from various sources such as state and federal grants, gasoline and sales taxes, water and sewer charges, among others. Nonetheless, there has been a substantial increase of 29% in the income derived from countywide property taxes over the past four years.
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