When Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia stepped into Nassau County this week and dropped a $53 million bombshell about government bloat, he didn’t just bring spreadsheets — he brought a forecast.
And the first thing he said would happen?
Press releases. Pushback. Challenges to the numbers.
Right on cue, here they are.
On Thursday, the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners issued a unified press release disputing the CFO’s claims, questioning the state’s methodology, and insisting their own independently audited records tell a very different story.
The chill has officially turned into fireworks.
The Predictable First Move
When state officials begin asking uncomfortable questions about spending, the first response from local government is rarely self-reflection. It’s almost always procedural:
- Challenge the numbers
- Question the methodology
- Emphasize audits
- Call for meetings
- Assert transparency
- Reassure taxpayers that “everything is fine”
That exact sequence unfolded within 48 hours.
County leadership now argues that:
- The CFO overstated Nassau County’s “actual spending”
- Voter-approved land acquisition funds were improperly counted
- Emergency reserves and capital balances weren’t excluded
- State-mandated expenses were treated as discretionary spending
In short: the numbers are wrong, the context is missing, and the conclusions don’t hold.
The Absence That Spoke Loudest
But here’s a question the press release does not answer:
If the County is so confident in its numbers, why didn’t a single commissioner — or the County Manager — show up at the press conference?
The Sheriff was there.
The School Superintendent was there.
Both independently elected officials managed to attend, listen, and stand in the room when the questions were being asked.
Yet the very body now issuing a strongly worded rebuttal chose not to be present when the claims were made — claims they now say were so serious and so flawed that they demand immediate clarification.
That absence matters.
What They Didn’t Dispute Is Just as Important
The County disputes how much it spent.
But notably, it does not dispute how much it collected.
So here’s the question taxpayers deserve answered:
If Nassau County didn’t spend the money the CFO says it did — where is the extra money?
Is it sitting in reserves?
Is it being carried forward?
Is it earmarked for future projects?
And if so — were taxpayers told?
Because if the County collected revenues beyond what it claims to have spent, that money didn’t disappear. It belongs to the people who paid it. And no one has explained whether any of it is coming back.
Press Conferences vs. Paper Trails
Commissioners also took issue with the fact that state auditors did not meet with county officials prior to the press conference. That may be true — but it sidesteps an uncomfortable reality:
Audited numbers don’t explain decisions.
They don’t justify priorities.
And they don’t answer whether government has grown beyond necessity.
Audits tell you whether the math adds up.
They don’t tell you whether the spending makes sense.
That’s the space the CFO stepped into — and it’s why this dispute matters.
DOGE Wasn’t Early. DOGE Was Right.
For months, NassauFLDOGE has been raising red flags about unchecked growth, opaque spending, and the widening gap between government and taxpayers. The CFO’s visit didn’t invent this concern — it validated it.
Now the County says it will publish a “100% transparent” analysis online and let citizens draw their own conclusions.
Good.
We’ll be watching. Closely.
📣 Call to Action: What Nassau County Taxpayers Should Ask Next
Nassau County says it welcomes transparency. Good. That means citizens should now ask clear, direct questions — and expect clear answers.
Here’s where accountability actually begins:
- Why didn’t any County Commissioner or the County Manager attend the CFO’s press conference?
The Sheriff and School Superintendent showed up. Why didn’t county leadership? - How much money did Nassau County collect — total — in FY 2024/2025?
The County disputes spending figures, but not revenue figures. - If the County didn’t spend what the CFO says it did, where is the extra money now?
Reserves? Carry-forwards? Earmarked projects? - Will any excess collections be returned to taxpayers or used to reduce future taxes and fees?
- What specific spending decisions caused Nassau County’s growth to outpace comparable counties?
Not accounting categories — decisions. - Will the County publish a plain-English breakdown that residents can actually understand — not just audited tables?
Transparency isn’t a press release.
It’s showing up.
It’s answering hard questions.
And it’s letting taxpayers see where their money went — and why.
NassauFLDOGE will be watching closely.
And we encourage every resident to do the same.
Because this isn’t just about numbers.
It’s about trust.
