Miami Faces Budget Crisis Amid Overspending Audit by State Officials

Miami, Florida — State officials are sounding the alarm over Miami’s significant overspending. CFO Blaise Ingoglia held a press conference on Thursday to unveil the city’s staggering budget issues, noting that Miami’s spending exceeded acceptable levels by $94 million.

“If this was a business, the city of Miami would go bankrupt,” Ingoglia stated, highlighting that taxpayers are missing out on potential refunds. He criticized government spending habits, saying, “This is money that should be back in the hands of the taxpayer and not in the hands of a government bureaucrat.”

Ingoglia displayed charts to illustrate Miami’s general fund budget, which surged by 44% between 2019 and 2024, translating to a $358 million increase. He emphasized that Miami’s spending growth is more than double that of other local governments.

Since 2019, the city has added 193 full-time employees, despite only 23,000 new residents. Ingoglia remarked, “Every time someone moves to Miami, the city’s budget grows by $15,320.”

He noted that by the last normal year before the pandemic—2019—Miami’s budget was significantly smaller, when Emilio González served as City Manager. Current City Manager Art Noriega succeeded him in 2020.

Ingoglia assured attendees that results from the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would be released to the public soon. He warned that local governments may mislead voters about their financial needs, saying, “They are going to cry… to convince you, the taxpayer, that they need every single dollar.”

The DOGE Task Force was created under Gov. Ron DeSantis to streamline government spending. As of now, they have identified over $1.1 billion in excessive spending in Florida’s localities this year.

Ingoglia compared today’s spending habits to those seen nationwide in the mid-2010s when increased property tax revenue led to budget mismanagement. Engaging with property tax issues remains a focus for DeSantis ahead of upcoming legislative sessions.

The press conference also highlighted proposals for raising local homestead tax exemptions to help relieve homeowners. However, Ingoglia criticized the legislative delays in addressing these proposals.

“Property taxes are making it harder to live, work, and thrive in the Sunshine State,” said Rachel Moscoso, a guest speaker at the event, underscoring the importance of the audits. “Let’s be bold, let’s be principled, and let’s be relentless.”

Auditors estimate that eliminating property taxes could lead to a budget hole exceeding $50 billion for local governments, a significant effect that would challenge municipal finances statewide.