Donna Deegan, Blaise Ingoglia bicker ahead of Florida DOGE audit

State officials haven’t descended on Jacksonville’s City Hall yet, but conflict about the impending visit brews all the same.

Jacksonville’s Democratic Mayor and Florida’s Republican Chief Financial Officer are exchanging some sharp words amid a dispute over a “simple form” the city wanted Blaise Ingoglia’s office to sign ahead of the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) audit later this week.

“We go to great lengths to protect the integrity and safety of our network. As such, we require every external auditor to complete a standard one-page form to request access to our sensitive and sophisticated financial systems,” said Mayor Donna Deegan, invoking Chapter 2025(199), Section 124 saying the city was allowed “appropriate security considerations.”

The city seeks “information on the quantity and names of people who will need access to our secure financial system during their on-site visit on August 7-8.”

Deegan seeks a phone call with Ingoglia to clear the air. However, Ingoglia wonders what Deegan is trying to hide through her response to the audit communication.

The letter from Florida DOGE announcing the site visit did not contemplate “quantity” or “names.” Rather, it issued seemingly non-negotiable conditions to Jacksonville’s subsidiary government.

“Responses to the information requests below may be provided at the time of the requested access, or may be provided electronically in advance by contacting us for access to a secure electronic portal to which documents and other types of data may be uploaded. You should note that financial penalties may accrue for your failure to comply with each of the following requests for access on those dates.”

The audit will consider procurements and contracts valued at $10,000 or more, as well as spending that predated the Deegan era, such as compensation records that go back to Fiscal Year 2019-20, when Republican Lenny Curry (who was once a Republican Party of Florida Chair, like Ingoglia) was beginning his second term.

There are 14 requests related to diversity, equity and inclusion and another five for spending related to the so-called Green New Deal.

Speaking of Curry and his Ballard Partners, which was fired by Deegan’s administration from its lobbying position, Ingoglia’s team will get visibility into lobbying contracts entered into since 2023, including cost and what has been accomplished by those efforts.

The audit will also dive into big ticket spending, such as on development of the old Shipyards property and renovation of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium.