Cape Coral released lengthy fiscal spending documents sent to the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team.
The team sent a letter to City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn and Mayor John Gunter on May 26 requesting information on Cape Coral’s spending. According to the letter, the DOGE team is reviewing local governments throughout the state in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget.
In a July 21 press release, Cape Coral confirmed all requested records were submitted by the extended June 25 deadline. The DOGE team hasn’t revealed when it will finish its review, and Cape Coral hasn’t received any recommendations from the team yet, the release said.
Florida DOGE’s requested information from Cape Coral
Florida’s DOGE team requested documents from fiscal years 2024 through 2026, including information related to contracting practices and spending, technology spending, consulting contracts and change orders, construction permits and contractors, and government staffing.
What did Cape Coral submit to Florida DOGE?
Cape Coral publicly released all documents submitted to DOGE along with the press release. The city confirmed that, along with 339 documents, it provided DOGE with direct access to the city’s online systems.
Included in the documents are government purchases from suppliers, contracts for professional services, purchase orders, technology consulting and software information, permit reports, local business tax receipts, and revenue sufficiency reports from Stantec Consulting, a Fort Myers engineering consultant.
The utilities agreement between Cape Coral and the Pinnacle Development Group for the record-breaking Hudson Creek development was also submitted, along with all appraisals for Cape Coral Golf Course, Charlotte County Reservoir and the Seven Islands development.
The last item released was a 170-page list of Cape Coral employees, comprising each person’s pay, hire date, job classification, supervisor, department and funding source.
What does DOGE do with the information?
According to the executive office of Gov. Ron DeSantis, once the DOGE team receives requested information, it uses AI and other technologies to “identify waste and noncompliance.”
Molly Best, the press secretary for the Executive Office of the Governor, confirmed Cape Coral is one of about a dozen entities being reviewed by DOGE in an emailed statement on June 22. The team only sends recommendations back to the entities in some cases, she said.
Findings are often made public through press releases from The Executive Office of the Governor or through Florida DOGE’s X account.
On Jan. 28, Florida DOGE released a report on local government spending discovered since it began auditing cities and counties on July 31, 2025. The report included findings on fiscal spending in Orange County, Hillsborough County, Miami-Dade County, Alachua County, Broward County, Pinellas County, Manatee County and Palm Beach County. It also highlighted Jacksonville, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Pensacola, Orlando and Gainesville.
From the 10 largest cities in Florida, the state identified a 36% increase in local government spending from fiscal year 2021. It also found cases of “questionable or irresponsible spending across the state,” including grant increases to non-profits, salary increases for government personnel and DEI programs.
Cape Coral was mentioned in the report for increasing personnel spending by $35 million from fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2025.
Rossana Passaniti, the public information officer for Gainesville, and Jacksonville’s Public Affairs Office confirmed the cities didn’t receive direct communication from DOGE before the release of the report, respectively.
When asked whether there will be another report on local government spending released in 2026, Best said, “Stay tuned.”
Reach reporter Vanessa Norris by emailing vnorris@news-press.com
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral hands over online access, receipts to Florida DOGE
Reporting by Vanessa Norris, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Vanessa Norris, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
