Protesters rally as St. Pete gets DOGE’d, but Gov. DeSantis is unmoved

A protest against state-led scrutiny over St. Pete’s budget is planned downtown at City Hall Wednesday from 4-5:30, but Gov. Ron DeSantis thinks there’s nothing to protest.

Speaking at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday, the same day the state’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is set to be in St. Pete reviewing its budget, DeSantis was asked to respond to the planned protest.

“What are they protesting?” he asked the questioning reporter, appearing genuinely perplexed.

The group, according to a protest announcement from Indivisible, describes the protest as pushback against the DOGE request to access “information, documents and data systems” in St. Pete. The group points to claims that the trove of information DOGE is asking for would take “months of work” to assemble.

The organizers take particular issue with the areas of spending DOGE is specifically targeting, including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and sustainability and resiliency programs the DeSantis administration has described as part of local efforts to impose the Green New Deal. The DOGE letter St. Pete received also targets spending on homeless services.

“It’s up to the citizens of St. Pete to decide how we spend our tax dollars, who we honor with parades (be it Gay Pride or MLK), and how we power our city vehicles. We decide! Not DeSantis and his DOGE goons,” the protest announcement reads.

But DeSantis’ take is different.

“What DOGE is doing is it’s showing some of the things that have been done, you know, on a local level,” DeSantis said. “If you look at the growth of these budgets over the last three or four years, it is not just because of public safety or education. It’s just not. I mean, there’s more to it than that. And so, you know, do you need to be spending $3 million on DEI consultants?”

DeSantis painted his DOGE inquiries, which have also targeted Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, as part of an effort to ensure lower property taxes for residents.

While St. Pete has actually lowered its property tax rate in recent years, a fact acknowledged in a letter the city received outlining the DOGE process, state officials argue rising property values have still led to a rising annual tax burden totaling $95 million over the past six years, a 75% increase, according to DOGE officials.

“You’ve seen a lot of load in budgets, where’s that money going to?” DeSantis said. “And they’ll say, it’s for things that we all agree on, education, public safety, first responders. But I can tell you, there’s a lot of stuff beyond that that some of these governments are spending these tax dollars on. And so you absolutely can do property tax relief.”

DeSantis also touched on his efforts to eliminate property tax entirely, something that would require a statewide referendum, which he said he’s working with legislative leadership to get on a ballot.

“You’re going to have to vote for it when it’s on the ballot and it’s going to need 60%,” DeSantis said, referring to a possible ballot question.

A DOGE letter sent to the city of St. Pete earlier this month requested access to the “city’s physical premises, data systems, and responsive personnel” on Aug. 13 and 14.

The Aug. 1 letter includes a litany of requests for additional information related to procurement and contracting; personnel compensation; management practices; city utilities; DEI jobs, spending and mission; adherence to the federal “Green New Deal,” including the city’s Integrated Sustainability Action Plan and transition to 100% clean energy”; grants and financial management; transportation, including traffic calming and bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects; and homeless services.

The letter requested a list of jobs whose responsibilities advance DEI initiatives, including those targeting anti-racism. It targets “any form of preferential treatment based on race, ethnicity, gender, or the like” and includes a parenthetical further specifying that includes “the use of substitutes such as ‘cultural competence’ or ‘lived experience’ to conceal such preferential treatment.”

It further asks for information about any spending, including grants to providers or nonprofits, related to the city’s homeless population. The letter seeks “all data collected or otherwise in the County’s possession regarding mental health, crime, immigration status, substance abuse, and public service usage in connection with homeless and affordable housing services.”

The city faces possible financial penalties for noncompliance.

Mayor Ken Welch has not responded to DOGE efforts this week, but in a public response after receiving the letter Aug. 1 he said the city was “reviewing it carefully” and “will fully cooperate, providing any additional information or clarification as requested.”

“My administration’s Principles for Accountable and Responsible Government continue to guide our work. We will address any questions that may arise from the State’s process and move forward with clarity and accountability in the best interest of the residents of St. Petersburg,” he wrote.

Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner, whose district includes St. Pete, had harsher words.

“Working Floridians are drowning under low wages and soaring costs just to call this state home. Instead of confronting the real crises hurting our people, the Governor is dispatching state agents to punish local communities like St. Petersburg for doing their job: serving their communities,” she said in a prepared statement.

“This isn’t fiscal oversight, it’s political retaliation. And the cost falls on working families who depend on local services to survive and thrive.”