Photo: CBS 12
We finally have the full results of the Flordia DOGE audit in Palm Beach County.
According to the review, the county's general fund budget has grown nearly 90 percent since 2016, even though the population grew only about 10 percent.
Property taxes are cited for much of that growth with ad valorem revenue nearly doubling over the past decade, bringing the general fund budget from $1.25 billion to more than $2.37 billion.
The Florida Department of Government Efficiency finds that the county spent $16 million on homeless service programs since 2020, while the homeless population actually increased from about 1,500 people to more than 2,000. The report suggests the funding may have encouraged growth.
Also, DEI spending by the county was at $151,000, with agencies previously using a "racial equity lens" in planning.
County leaders have not issued a formal response to the findings, but Commissioner Maria Sachs tells CBS 12 News that the numbers weren't as bad as she was expecting.