By Merrilee Gasser, The Center Square
In Summary:
House Bill 1329 would mandate that cities and counties post downloadable budgets, employee salaries, and travel expenses in a searchable format. The legislation also requires budget-cutting exercises identifying at least 10% in potential reductions without affecting essential services. While proponents say the bill improves accountability, some lawmakers raised concerns about unequal transparency standards between local and state governments.
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Florida taxpayers will have increased access to see how local governments are spending their money under a bill passed by the Legislature during the regular session’s final week.
The only thing left for House Bill 1329 to become law is to be signed by second-term Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Related: DeSantis links redistricting to the Supreme Court ruling, but that may not come down until April 20.
Proposed by Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, the bill increases financial transparency by requiring local governments to post downloadable budgets for public viewing. All local government employees' salaries and travel expenses will be searchable.
Tentative budgets must be posted two weeks before a public hearing where the budget is adopted, and final budgets must remain posted for five years.
“I have made it my mission to provide real transparency into local governments’ spending, so Floridians know exactly what their tax dollars will go towards,” said Ingoglia. “For far too long, local governments have benefited from ambiguity and inaccessibility in their spending habits. Not anymore. Now, local governments will be required to make budgets more accessible and to identify areas where spending can be reduced. The days of unchecked spending are over. Taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
Additionally, the bill requires the budget officer of each county or municipality to perform a budget-cutting exercise before the final budget is adopted each year. In that exercise, a total of 10% in reductions must be identified within the budget without impacting essential services like law enforcement and fire services.
“Local governments should provide the taxpayers with as much transparency into their budget process as possible,” said Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, who sponsored the bill in the Senate. "Through this legislation, we are making it easier for the taxpayers to see exactly where their taxpayer funds are going. Thank you, CFO Ingoglia, for your work to bring accountability and transparency to local government budgets."
As the bill moved through committees earlier in the year, concerns were raised about creating a double standard between local governments and the state government.
“We are not held to that same standard, and we are also paid for by tax dollars, and I know many members use their district account to go to conferences and often times conferences that have political leaning and preferences,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando. “And so if we’re going to hold our locals to that standard, we should do the same for ourselves. At the end of the day, it’s the same tax dollars that we’re talking about, and I do feel that we continuously demonize local governments and we don’t hold ourselves to that same standard.”
It’s unclear exactly what financial impact the bill will have on local governments. A fiscal analysis acknowledged that costs related to procuring financial software or increased administrative workloads are likely.
“Taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability when it comes to how their money is spent," said Rep. Yvette Benarroch, R-Marco Island. "As an elected official, that is one of my most important responsibilities. I appreciate CFO Ingoglia for leading on this issue and for his partnership in moving this legislation through the process."
Key Points:
- House Bill 1329 requires local governments to publish budgets, salaries, and expenses online in a searchable format.
- Tentative budgets must be posted two weeks before public hearings, and final budgets must be available for five years.
- The bill mandates identifying 10% in potential budget cuts without affecting essential services such as police and fire.
- Supporters say the measure increases transparency and accountability for taxpayers.
- Critics argue the state should be held to the same transparency standards as local governments.
