Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia visited Fernandina Beach this week to deliver a stark assessment of Nassau County's finances, identifying more than $53 million in budget overspending that represents a 96.8 percent increase over five years.
The figure marks the highest spending increase among 12 local governments reviewed by the state, drawing comparisons to pre-pandemic budget levels adjusted for inflation and population growth.
Ingoglia's presentation at a public forum called for property tax reform and millage rate reductions, singling out Fernandina Beach's upcoming paid parking program as an example of what he characterized as unnecessary additional fees on top of existing tax collection.
"We believe that school boards are wasting money also. Every taxpayer dollar deserves scrutiny."
— CFO Blaise Ingoglia
Nassau County officials have disputed the characterization, arguing that rapid population growth and increased service demands justify the budget expansion. County administrators noted that the analysis doesn't fully account for state-mandated programs and infrastructure needs accompanying the area's development boom.
The CFO also indicated that school board spending would face similar scrutiny under proposed legislation creating a new Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight. Meanwhile, a citizen recall effort launched this week targeting two city commissioners over the paid parking issue.