~Legislation is a part of the CFO’s broader Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight initiative~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced that his priority bill, House Bill 1329 Local Government Finances, has passed both chambers of the Legislature and is ready for the Governor’s signature. This major legislation, proposed by Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and sponsored by Representative Yvette Benarroch and Senator Nick DiCeglie (SB 1566), establishes new requirements for cities and counties to post their budgets and salaries online in an easily accessible and transparent format.
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said, “As Chief Financial Officer, 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. 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 identify areas in which spending can be reduced. The days of unchecked spending are over. Taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
“Local governments should provide the taxpayers with as much transparency into their budget process as possible. 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,” said Senator Nick DiCeglie.
“Taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability when it comes to how their money is spent. 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," said Representative Yvette Benarroch.
The bill delivers greater transparency to Floridians by making several important statutory changes.
First, the bill requires all counties and municipalities to post their budget development calendar for the next fiscal year and extend how long their budgets must be publicly posted. Proposed budgets must be posted for 5 days, up from the current 2, before a public hearing to adopt the budget. Final budgets must remain publicly listed for at least 5 years, up from 2. Additionally, all budget amendments must be posted 5 days prior to a hearing for adoption.
The bill also requires that all publicly posted budgets be posted in a portable document format that is downloadable, and must include a budget overview and summary, including a narrative analysis that utilizes graphical illustrations to highlight major points of emphasis and trends.
To further encourage smart fiscal decisions from local governments, the bill requires that at least 14 days before the final budget is adopted, the county and municipal budget officers must publicly identify specific cuts totaling 10% of the tentative budget that can be made without impacting essential services, such as law enforcement or fire services.
The bill also requires that each local government prepare and post to their website a quarterly summary of compensation for all employees of the county.
