Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency, better known as the DOGE team, is crisscrossing the state on a fast-paced audit tour, digging into local government spending and tax policies. “What I can tell you is we have a lot of work to do with the counties… a lot of work to do with the cities,” Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia said. “And what I can also tell you is — I’m not going away.” In just the past week, the watchdog group has made stops in Manatee and Pinellas counties. Now, Hillsborough County is next in line, after receiving a letter last month from DOGE flagging concerns over its countywide millage rate — the property tax rate that determines how much homeowners pay each year. Officials say the review is coming in response to sharp property tax hikes in recent years. “Property taxes have increased by 60 to 120 percent. We think government is bloated,” Ingoglia said. DOGE’s team plans to spend several days in Hillsborough, combing through budgets and records. Ingoglia says the effort is already turning up troubling results in other counties. “We are finding pretty egregious examples of waste, fraud and abuse,” he told reporters. Counties that refuse to cooperate face significant consequences. Under Florida law, a lack of response to DOGE’s requests could result in a $1,000-per-day, per item penalty. Ingoglia had a pointed warning for local officials who might try to alter or delete records ahead of an audit. “Do not change anything. We have subpoenas — and we can bring in FDLE digital forensic units to find out exactly who made those changes.”