Miami invites Florida DOGE in to probe the city

The City of Miami is inviting the newly created Florida Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) to investigate potential fraud and municipal misspending.

At the close of the April 24 meeting, the city commission discussed a proposal from Commissioner Joe Carollo to request assistance from the state’s DOGE. The discussion ended with a unanimous vote to welcome the state auditors as an additional set of eyes to inspect the city’s finances.

In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order creating the Florida branch of the federal DOGE initiative, which was launched by the Trump administration earlier this year to cut government spending.

“It will eliminate redundant boards and commissions, review state university and college operations and spending, utilize artificial intelligence to further examine state agencies to uncover hidden waste, and even audit the spending habits of local entities to shine the light on waste and bloat,” the governor said regarding the taskforce’s goals.

Led by Elon Musk, the federal DOGE initiative claims to have saved an estimated $160 billion through a combination of contract cancellations, program changes, workforce reductions and other measures.

Similarly, Gov. DeSantis’ executive order outlines how his administration’s 2025-2026 fiscal budget will utilize DOGE’s strategies to reduce state spending, targeting a $3 billion savings for Florida taxpayers by eliminating over 740 state government positions as well as recommending $2.2 billion in tax relief and reviewing federal grant funding. The order notes Florida already has the lowest ratio of state government workers to population.

While proponents argue that DOGE cuts unnecessary spending to boost government efficiency, opponents fear its “move fast and break things” mentality could jeopardize essential services. Popularized by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), the slogan encouraged speed and risk-taking during the tech company’s early stages. Critics now associate the mindset with DOGE, warning it may prioritize quick results over the long-term consequences.

Since the federal DOGE’s launch, tens of thousands of federal employees have been laid off and funding to agencies has been slashed, drastically altering operations and raising concerns about the future of government services.

Miami resident Katrina Morris voiced her concerns at the meeting. “We need a certain number of employees, and we need a certain number of procedures to function as a government,” she said. “This is ‘move fast and break things,’ and that’s what scares me. I have a computer science degree and understand the concepts, but I worry about applying a software mentality to people.”

Chairwoman Christine King echoed those concerns, stating, “I don’t want them to come in and there be a swift sweep of whole departments and people are out of work. I support efficiencies. I support reviewing our processes, but I will not support a broad stroke of getting rid of whole departments.”

Commissioner Damian Pardo reminded all that the city’s Office of the Inspector General is coming online soon, adding another level of oversight. In August 2024, 79% of Miami voters endorsed replacing the former Office of the Independent Auditor General with the new office, which holds broader authority to investigate alleged misconduct at all levels of government.

“We do have forensic audits, which I think goes above ‘move fast and break things’,” Mr. Pardo added, noting the city already has a financial review process. “If we want to invite further oversight, then great. I’m all in favor of oversight, but like you, Madam Chair, if it’s something that’s fast and breaking things, I will not support it.”

Mr. Carollo clarified that the state would only review the city’s finances and make suggestions, with the final decision resting with the commission. “This is additional sets of eyes so that we can truly live in the word that is thrown around so often: transparency.”

Miami’s Chief Financial Officer Larry Spring added that the city had received a request from Florida DOGE in early April. “The governor’s office asked all municipalities to affirm their compliance with his directive … and that we have not met any of the conditions under statute 218 for financial emergencies from 2018 through today.” The city responded on April 8, assuring the state the city hasn’t met the criteria.