Audit Finds Palm Beach County Overspent by $344 Million, State CFO Says

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced Thursday that a state audit found Palm Beach County government exceeded its budget by $344 million—more than any other county reviewed this year. The audit is part of a broader financial oversight effort targeting local budgets statewide.

Speaking at a news conference in West Palm Beach, Ingoglia said the overspending is tied to a surge in property tax collections. “That is the biggest number we have seen in the state of Florida this year,” he said.

The audit was conducted through the Florida Agency on Fiscal Oversight, a project launched to examine municipal finances and put pressure on local governments to curb property tax hikes. So far, audits of 11 cities and counties have uncovered a total of $1.9 billion in what Ingoglia described as “excessive” and “bloated” spending.

Ingoglia said the reports used county budgets from the 2019–2020 fiscal year as a baseline, then adjusted those figures for population growth and inflation to determine whether and by how much current spending exceeded reasonable levels.

“Almost every jurisdiction we have gone into has tried to refute our numbers. They can’t,” he said. “We have teams of auditors, teams of CPAs going over these numbers, and I’m going to tell you these numbers are absolutely solid.”

Palm Beach County officials appear to be cooperating with the state’s review. Deputy County Administrator Todd Bonlarron acknowledged the findings and said the county is already exploring ways to cut costs without compromising core services. “Really looking at where we can tighten things up and create some efficiencies, we’re doing that today,” Bonlarron said.

Ingoglia said that trimming the county’s budget by $344 million could save the average homeowner about $300 annually on property taxes. He offered support for the county’s efforts to rein in spending. “They should know I’m going to cheer them on,” he said. “On behalf of the taxpayers to hold government accountable, make it small and cost less.”

Reducing local property taxes is shaping up to be a central issue in Tallahassee heading into 2026. Republican lawmakers have already filed several bills aimed at making housing more affordable by limiting how much local governments can collect.

For now, Palm Beach County joins a growing list of local governments under scrutiny as Florida’s leadership pushes to reshape how public funds are used—and who benefits from them.