Citrus County, Florida – A recent claim by Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia that Citrus County’s budget has $39 million in wasteful spending has sparked criticism from local residents. Ingoglia’s formula for determining wasteful spending involves taking the 2019-20 budget, indexing it with population growth and inflation, and using that result as the target budget number. However, some argue that this approach is overly simplistic and fails to account for various factors such as road repairs, unfunded mandates, and increased workload from the state.
The 2019-20 budget did not adequately cover the cost of road repairs, and the county now acknowledges it needs $40 million per year to maintain roads properly, far above both past and current funding levels. Additionally, the state has steadily increased the workload of counties and cities with new transparency mandates, reporting requirements, growth management restrictions, public safety duties, and administrative obligations, all of which are unfunded mandates. Citrus County must comply with these mandates, but the state provides no funding to carry them out.
When applying Ingoglia’s formula, the target budget would require a 21-22 percent cut to the General Fund, which is about $180 million. Protecting public safety would be a challenge with such a significant reduction. The issue highlights the complexities of budgeting and the impact of state mandates on local governments.
Originally reported by Citrus County Chronicle – Inverness
Sources: Citrus County Chronicle – Inverness
