Pinellas joins DeSantis' DOGE push, giving state more oversight of local spending
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Pinellas County became the latest local government to welcome scrutiny from Gov. Ron DeSantis' version of DOGE.
Why it matters: The move by Pinellas' Republican-controlled County Commission gives the DeSantis administration more control over the county's taxpayer-funded budget.
State of play: County commissioners on Tuesday voted 6-1 to pass a resolution pledging to "work in collaboration with" DeSantis' Department of Government Efficiency and "fully cooperate" with the agency to implement policy reforms, per a copy of the resolution shared with Axios.
- DeSantis announced the new agency in February to expose and eliminate what officials deem wasteful spending by state agencies, colleges and universities, and local governments.
- It's modeled after President Trump's advisory body of the same name, led by billionaire Elon Musk, who has faced widespread criticism for sowing chaos in federal agencies that manage parks, weather forecasts, cybersecurity and more.
Driving the news: Commission chair Brian Scott introduced the resolution Tuesday after responding to an initial inquiry from the state DOGE.
- Anticipating the office will reach out in the future, Scott brought forth the resolution to "memorialize not only our cooperation but also the spirit and intent of finding efficiencies, looking for redundant systems" and implementing best practices, he said. "It's only a positive."
Between the lines: DeSantis over the weekend lauded local governments that had signed similar commitments. Among them was Hillsborough County, which also created its own DOGE committee.
The other side: Commissioner Rene Flowers, the board's lone Democrat, was the only no vote.
- "I just don't think that we need a resolution to say that we would look for efficiencies or inefficiencies because I believe that we're doing that," she said.
Of note: The resolution wasn't on the agenda. Scott raised the issue at the end of Tuesday's meeting, when commissioners discuss new business.
- The deadline had passed to add items to Tuesday's agenda, he told Axios, and "with budget season upon us, time is of the essence."