Councilmember Marlene Shaw
Eric Soskin, a former litigator with 14 years of experience and now Senior Advisor and DOGE Team Lead with the Executive Office of Governor DeSantis, presented on the state’s “DOGE” initiative (Department of Government Efficiency). He noted the rise in federal and state government spending, highlighting that Florida has reduced its federal debt by 40% and maintains one of the lowest ratios of state government workers to residents.
The DOGE initiative focuses on reviewing local government spending, with particular attention the following examples:
- Significant budget increases
- Overspending, waste, and fraud
- Contracting activities
- Personnel compensation
- DEI initiatives
- Environmental and climate-related projects
- Use of city funds for private enterprise
The program allows DOGE teams to conduct on-site visits with direct access to records, staff, data systems, and other requested information. Soskin underscored that the state views such access as an entitlement, and all requests must be met promptly. He emphasized transparency and warned of the consequences of withholding or altering information. DOGE’s enforcement authority includes:
- CFO subpoenas
- Fines of $1,000 per instance of non-compliance
- Potential litigation involving Department of Justice attorneys
In his remarks, Soskin cautioned against allowing “ideologies in DEI” or “scientific ideas related to things like climate change” to drive local spending decisions, adding that DOGE would be reviewing such expenditures closely.