The Florida Department of Government Efficiency, better known as Florida DOGE, is once again targeting the city of Pensacola.
Florida DOGE sent a letter to Pensacola on June 16 demanding financial records for the last year that appear to target employee purchasing card transactions, contract change orders, and sole source or non-competitive contracts. Additionally, the letter asks for a full list of city contractors and employees.
Florida DOGE is in its second year since its creation by Gov. Ron DeSantis, but its authority is set to expire at the end of the month. Pensacola is facing another review in the final days of the program.
Florida DOGE’s first review of city finances focused on rooting out DEI rather than on responsible government spending, and critics said the report was designed to create a pretext to remove local control from city governments.
The most recent Florida DOGE letter set a June 26 deadline for the city to turn over the information. The letter noted that DOGE was acting under the authority of the Office of Policy and Budget, and that failure to comply with DOGE’s request could result in financial penalties for the city under Florida law.
Pensacola City Administrator David Stafford responded to the Florida DOGE request in a letter on June 17 that the city would fully comply.
“This administration shares your commitment to transparency and efficiency in government and is dedicated to ensuring that taxpayers’ money is used responsibly, ethically and efficiently to the ultimate benefit of our citizens,” Stafford wrote. “We are happy to share the information requested, as we shared in previous visits with the DOGE team – and as we are any time we are asked.”
Jim Little is the City Government Accountability Reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. If you have a news tip, please send it to jwlittle@pnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola targeted by Florida DOGE for second year in a row
Reporting by Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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By Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
