County Commission adopts resolution supporting state DOGE

County Commission adopts resolution supporting state DOGE

Furthering our efforts to identify unnecessary spending and create new efficiencies, the Pinellas County Commission on Tuesday adopted a resolution supporting the Executive Office of the Governor (EOG) Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The Commission and County staff will collaborate with the EOG DOGE team to conduct reviews of the County's budget and operations and provide reports to the EOG DOGE team. Commission Chair Brian Scott will send a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis conveying the cooperation.

"We're memorializing the process the Executive Office of the Governor wanted us to go through and affirming we share the same goals and desired outcomes," Scott said.

The Commission appointed County Administrator Barry Burton to serve as the point of contact in coordination with the Chair's office for all EOG DOGE-related inquiries. To the extent permitted by law, the Commission will grant the EOG DOGE team access to necessary records and any physical premises to review documents and data that may assist the County in identifying areas for improvement.

The partnership is the latest example of the County's commitment to responsible stewardship of taxpayer money. Those efforts include the development of an integrated performance management process by the County Administrator's Strategic Initiatives team. County budgets undergo intense scrutiny by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Through the collaborative efforts of the County Commission, the Constitutional Officers, the Appointing Authorities and County Departments, the County has reduced the general fund property tax rate in three of the last four years, maintained high bond ratings, and kept the lowest per capita debt among large Florida counties.