Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team is reviewing the city of Cape Coral’s fiscal spending.
In a letter sent to City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn and Mayor John Gunter on May 26, the team declared it was reviewing local governments throughout the state in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget.
The letter included an extensive information request related to the city’s expenditure on construction, engineering, technology and staff. The deadline for sending the information was June 9, according to the letter.
“We are continuing to carry out Governor DeSantis’s mission of making state and local government efficient and effective, and promoting good stewardship of taxpayer resources,” the letter states.
What is DOGE requesting from Cape Coral?
The request mostly covers fiscal years 2024 through 2026, and includes information related to contracting practices and spending, technology spending, consulting contracts and change orders, construction permits and contractors, and government staffing.
The Hudson Creek development, a massive 1,745-acre stretch of land sold for $100 million in 2024, was mentioned in the letter. DOGE requested the development’s utilities agreement and list of vendors.
Property appraisals were also requested for the Old Golf Course property, Southwest Aggregates Mine and the Seven Islands sale to Gulf Gateway Resort.
The letter’s last point requested a “current snapshot” of personnel information, including government employees’ names, hire date, compensation, job classification, location, funding source and position description.
Cape Coral confirmed it “is actively working with FL DOGE staff to provide the requested information” in a statement. City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn and Mayor John Gunter didn’t reply to a request for comment.
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.”
Have any other cities in Southwest Florida been sent a letter?
Last year, Fort Myers responded to a similar DOGE request. DOGE didn’t send back any recommendations, so the city didn’t make any spending changes, according to Noelle Casagrande, the city’s public information officer.
Lee County, Collier County, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach confirmed they did not recently receive a letter from DOGE.
Reach reporter Vanessa Norris by emailing vnorris@news-press.com
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida DOGE reviews Cape Coral city spending
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
