Gov. DeSantis' new DOGE task force gains momentum as universities, localities commit to being audited

Local jurisdictions and nationalist universities in Florida are latching connected to Gov. Ron DeSantis' caller state-level DOGE Task Force, including done ceremonial resolutions, autarkic committees and further resources supporting the caller initiative.      

DeSantis announced the instauration of "Florida DOGE" successful February, a programme akin to the 1 led astatine the national level by Elon Musk. The audit intends to utilize artificial quality and different measures to uncover hidden waste, reappraisal authorities assemblage and assemblage operations and spending, destruct "redundant" boards oregon commissions, and analyse entities' spending habits. The inaugural intends to guarantee fiscal compliance with each authorities laws, supply recommendations and taxable referrals to the due enforcement agencies erstwhile necessary.  

The politician subsequently sent retired authoritative guidance successful March to assorted counties and municipalities, arsenic good arsenic to nationalist colleges and universities, requesting they corroborate their willingness to comply with the audit. The guidance besides ordered the assignment of a proxy to beryllium the superior constituent of interaction passim the initiative. 

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In response, immoderate of Florida's largest jurisdictions and nationalist institutions – similar Hillsborough County, the City of Jacksonville, and Florida Atlantic University – person signaled their willingness to comply with the audit. Their efforts see passing ceremonial resolutions and creating autarkic committees to enactment the governor's initiative.

The Florida DOGE inaugural intends to "abolish" 70 redundant boards and commissions astir the state, per a February property merchandise from the governor's bureau announcing the caller auditing effort. (Getty Images/Fox News)

"Completing this DOGE audit is simply a no-brainer erstwhile you see the inefficiencies we’ve already stumbled crossed – similar old, forgotten slope accounts sitting determination with millions of dollars conscionable gathering dust," said Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Wostal, who helped spearhead the solution affirming the county's willingness to unfastened its doors.

In Jacksonville, the metropolis created a "Duval DOGE" task unit that has already begun conducting meetings and is zeroing successful connected tens of millions of dollars successful superior betterment projects that person sat idle since 2023, according to WJXT Channel 4 successful Jacksonville. This week, the "Duval DOGE" task unit besides launched a website to way the enactment being done with the ongoing audit. 

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Several of Florida's largest jurisdictions, successful summation to immoderate nationalist universities and colleges, person affirmed their willingness to unfastened their doors to the governor's auditors. (Getty Images)

However, portion residents successful Jacksonville person been supportive of the effort, others person pushed back. 

"DOGE is simply a misnomer, catchy misnomer for let’s spot what we tin instrumentality distant from the moving class, the needy, the elderly. We don’t request it," Duval County nonmigratory Russell Harper said during a metropolis hallway gathering astir the caller "Duval DOGE" committee. Other residents complained that the "Duval DOGE" lacked capable Democratic representation and was conscionable an effort to summation favour with governmental elites.

Protesters rally extracurricular the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building, office of the Office of Personnel Management, connected Feb. 5, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives astatine nationalist colleges and universities volition besides beryllium portion of the audit. The governor’s DOGE task unit aims to guarantee that nary authorities funds enactment these programs, successful enactment with a solution passed by the state committee of education past twelvemonth prohibiting specified spending.

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Florida DOGE besides intends to "abolish" 70 redundant boards and commissions astir the state, per a February property merchandise from the governor's bureau announcing the caller audits. 

"Florida was DOGE earlier DOGE was cool," DeSantis spokesperson Brian Wright said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "Over the past 5 years, Florida, nether Governor Ron DeSantis, has eliminated dozens of unnecessary boards, lifted needless regulations, and reduced spending. Florida has paid down 41% of our state’s debt, strengthened our economy, and accrued our rainy-day money by astir $10 cardinal – each without raising taxes."

Wostal said the caller DOGE audit was a amended effect than conscionable raising taxes to wage for needed services. 

"Instead of the knee-jerk effect of raising taxes – putting adjacent much strain connected already stretched households – it’s clip for the authorities to crook the lens inward," helium said.