State cites county’s $330M yearly increase of ad valorem tax

The Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is auditing Orange County over its yearly $330 million increase of the ad valorem tax, but county officials are defending themselves citing population growth.

The Florida DOGE sent a letter dated July 24 to Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, outlining the reason the county is being audited, and DOGE is requesting access to the county’s physical premises, data system and responsive personnel.

“Over the last five years, the taxpayers of Orange County have watched as your county government has increased burdens on property owners to the annual tune of $330 million dollars in additional ad valorem tax collections – an increase of over 50%,” the July 24 state DOGE letter reads. “This has been part of a growth in annual total expenditures of over $1.6 billion over the past five years, which represents a 57% increase in spending.”

“Having entrusted their governments with the power to tax, the citizens of Florida have a right to expect that their elected officials will spend the collected funds responsibly, not recklessly, and on truly necessary programs,” the letter continues.

Orange County should give such items to the DOGE team on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6 at the Orange County Administration Building and other locations the county identifies as necessary to abide by the state’s request, the letter states.

The letter says DOGE is exercising the governor’s authority under the Florida Constitution, the chief financial officer’s authority under Florida Statutes and the Office of Policy and Budget’s (OPB) authority under the Laws of Florida.

The letter asks Orange County to contact the Florida DOGE team and OPB by July 30 to give them an on-site contact for the Aug. 5-6 visits.

The audit has specific requests for the following topics: procurement and contracting, property management, utilities, DEI, Green New Deal, grants and other spending, transportation and homeless services.

Depending on the topic, the letter lists specific requests for information and documents, access to data systems, and access to individuals with appropriate expertise to detail the county’s activities and decisions.

Orange County officials acknowledged receiving the state DOGE letter and said they intend to fully cooperate with it. However, the county says the state should consider Orange County’s population boom within the last five years, which has weighed down on public services across the county.

“Since 2020, Orange County has grown by approximately 81,000 residents—a number greater than the population of 29 out of Florida’s 67 counties,” Demings said in a statement responding to the DOGE letter. “This substantial growth has placed increasing demands on public services across the county. For example, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has experienced a five-year increase of over 7% in calls for service. Likewise, Orange County Fire Rescue has seen call volumes rise by as much as 15% comparatively over the past five years. These trends highlight the mounting pressure on essential services as our community continues to expand.”

Orange County District 2 Commissioner Christine Moore said she learned about the upcoming audit in a July 28 email from Orange County administrator Byron Brooks, then saw Demings’ response to the audit.

“Clearly when they talk about the increase, they did not accommodate for growth,” she told The Apopka Chief in a July 29 interview. “So, I hope when they come down and investigate, that that will come up. And of course, if they could find ways for us to do things more efficiently, I’d always be for that.”

Moore acknowledged the county’s increased needs, noting insufficient funding for public works, acquisition of natural lands for conservation and affordable housing, and county employees generally receiving 4% raises.

“I could tell you that the budget doesn’t take care of all the needs, so it’ll be interesting to see where they find that we can save money, and [I’d] be happy to see if they’ve got some ideas,” she said.

Moore said she doesn’t know what DOGE would want because, by statute, the Board of County Commissioners sets the budget. Therefore, she doesn’t know if the state would make suggestions or make demands, she said.