JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Councilman Rory Diamond said Florida DOGE is coming to the city to “identify and report on excessive spending at the city and county level.”
“We were just doing surface stuff with Duval DOGE,” Diamond said. “This is real cuts, like the governor has been honest about, cutting funding for DEI, cutting funding for illegal aliens, going after totally unnecessary programs. That’s what we need to do. And if it takes someone coming from outside to help us do it. Let’s go.”
Florida DOGE sent a letter to Mayor Donna Deegan’s office on July 28 saying that Jacksonville was identified for further review and an on-site visit.
The letter acknowledges that Jacksonville has taken steps to reduce millage rates on residents, but the letter alleges that property values have increased.
“Rising property values have pushed annual property tax collections by over $400 million since 2020 - a 57% increase. This growing burden on property owners far outpaces inflation and the modest growth in population over that time,” the letter reads in part.
Collected property taxes are based on the millage rate. The city council only sets the government rate, which is one rate for most of the city, and then lower rates for the beach cities and Baldwin, with Baldwin a little higher than the beaches.
The beach cities and Baldwin have their own millage rates, set by their individual city governments, to pay for the city services they provide.
Here are Jacksonville’s millage rates since 2019:
- In 2019, the rate was 11.4419. It was held the same for 2020 and 2021.
- In 2022, it was reduced to 11.3169. It was held for 2023 and 2024.
- Proposed rate for 2025 holds it at 11.3169.
Property tax collections have gone up because property values have been skyrocketing. It is worth noting that if you’re a residential homeowner who is homesteaded, your assessed value - the value that property taxes are based on - can’t go up by more than 3% in a given year if you’re in your same home. That protects homeowners from the rising values until they move.
Florida DOGE requested access to the city’s physical premises, data systems, and personnel at City Hall and other local government locations.
The letter says that the mayor’s office has until Aug. 1 to reach out to Florida DOGE and the Office of Policy and Budget with an on-site contact for Aug. 7 and Aug. 8.
The mayor’s office sent a statement in response to the Florida DOGE letter.
The City of Jacksonville has been cooperating with Florida DOGE since their first request in March and will continue to do so.
They will find that our city finances have been managed responsibly and prudently, which is how we’ve held the number of non-public safety employees flat despite having one of the fastest growing populations in the country and the lowest millage rate by far of any major Florida city. It’s also why the three major ratings agencies have issued a top tier AA+ or AA rating for the second year in a row.
The work to create a more efficient government has been underway since Mayor Deegan’s first day in office. The time it takes for businesses to receive a permit has been cut in half, and more than 284,000 staff hours have been saved through our 904LEAN initiative that drives process improvements.
We welcome any financial evaluation not driven by partisanship or political gamesmanship."
Mayor Donna Deegan's Office
Councilman Ron Salem, who introduced Duval DOGE earlier in 2025, said it’s all about efficiency.
“We are simply looking at ways to save the taxpayers money and or returning excess dollars to the taxpayers in terms of tax relief,” Salem said. “I don’t see it as political. I see it as just good government and trying to run it as efficiently as we can.”
Councilman Matt Carlucci released a statement about Florida DOGE coming to Jacksonville.
State auditors are welcome to review our books. Jacksonville has the best auditing teams and budget office in the State of Florida, and we already undergo a full audit every year. I am confident they’ll walk away giving us an A+.
Councilman Matt Carlucci
What led up to this?
Florida DOGE was introduced in February by Gov. Ron DeSantis to review and improve the state government’s efficiency by helping streamline the Florida government and “eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy.”
Councilman Terrance Freeman filed a resolution in April to voluntarily request Florida DOGE to review the city’s finances.
“This is a common-sense ask right here of the governor of a resolution to volunteer,” Freeman said. “Hillsborough County has done it; Bay County is doing it. Every elected official, we try to manage taxpayer dollars like we manage our own checkbooks. But when we manage our checkbooks, we balance it, and we go line by line, and we try to figure out where we’re spending our money. That’s what DOGE simply does.”
Freeman also said he was looking forward to what Florida DOGE would find.
“Because we know that if they find even just one cent that is one penny saved for our constituents, that we can pass on those savings to them,” he said.
“I want them to know that we have been active from the City Council side, looking at ways to save money and want to continue that process. President Carrico has indicated that he is renewing the Duval DOGE and has asked me to chair it for the next year,” Salem said.
In June, Duval DOGE said that it had begun spending a portion of the identified unspent funds.
The mayor’s office has expressed concerns about Duval DOGE, stating that the Deegan administration has prioritized government efficiency since taking office without the need for a separate committee.
In June 2024, before Duval DOGE was launched, Deegan introduced the 904 Lean Initiative. The program was designed to reduce inefficiencies and improve how city departments function.
DeSantis’ office said that two teams from Florida DOGE arrived in Broward and Gainesville.
“Florida is the model for fiscal responsibility at the state level, and we will utilize our authority to ensure local governments follow suit,” DeSantis said. “Florida’s DOGE efforts are owed to the taxpayer and yet another way their state is pursuing fiscal responsibility.”
Councilman Rahman Johnson said on Sunday’s upcoming episode of This Week in Jacksonville that the city will be cooperative with the state.
“I don’t think the state DOGE is going to bring much more,” Johnson said. “But I will tell you the city is going to be cooperative.”
But he also expressed concerns over possible partisanship and the ramifications of potential changes.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” Johnson said. “It’s all fun and games, political partisanship and posturing when we’re saying we want to roll back the millage rate and turn it into something else -- until your garbage doesn’t get picked up.”
News4JAX reached out to all members of City Council for comment on Florida DOGE coming to Jacksonville.
