BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing for the use of artificial intelligence to audit local governments across Florida, an initiative he hopes will help ensure efficiency in taxpayer spending.
While speaking at Florida International University on Friday, DeSantis expressed his intention to “DOGE” local governments by leveraging AI tools, a strategy he attributes to tech mogul Elon Musk.
“We’re going to unleash the power of AI, but we’re probably going to need support from the legislature,” said DeSantis, emphasizing that AI audits could become a game-changer for state governance.
However, the proposal has stirred controversy, particularly following the governor’s mention of Broward County’s budget, which he claimed has increased by 82% over the past five years.
Broward County officials quickly responded, denying this claim.
“While it is not clear how the 82% figure was derived, it is important to note that traditional general government services have increased by a more modest 39% (approximately 7.8% per year) over the last five years,” said Greg Meyer, a spokesperson for the Broward County Administration. The county also pointed out that their budget includes non-property tax revenues, such as those from self-funded entities like the airport and seaport.”
Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine, who represents District 3, echoed Meyer’s comments.
“Our budget didn’t go up 82%. There are a lot of things included that are pass-throughs,” he said. “We also run an airport that’s not related to property taxes; it is a self-funded entity that uses the dollars they raise. The same goes for the seaport and some of our tourism dollars. While all of that flows through our budget, these are not property tax dollars being spent.”
In response, DeSantis noted that, under Florida law, he has the constitutional authority to request information from local governments.
This has raised concerns about potential state interference with local autonomy.
“It is not big-footing. I mean, we have under Florida statutes, and I will actually be acting pursuant to this relatively soon,” DeSantis said. “We will be giving everyone a heads-up when we do. I have constitutional authority in the Florida Constitution to request information from every entity in this state, municipal, county, and state agencies, and constitutionally, they have to provide that.”
Legal experts are divided on the implications of DeSantis’ plan.
NSU Law Professor Tim Canova highlighted the potential for legal challenges, especially if AI audits lead to budget cuts.
“It’s when you go from an audit to cutting programs, is probably where it will get controversial,” Canova warned.
DeSantis’s proposal would require special legislation to implement AI audits, which has raised questions about the necessity of such measures.
Canova questioned why special legislation would be needed if the governor already has the constitutional authority to conduct audits.
“It could be more politics than law,” he suggested.
DeSantis’ comments on Broward’s budget appear to stem from a post on X by a user named @FrogNews, which included budget data that matched his statements.
However, local officials dispute the accuracy of these figures, with Broward County pointing to documents outlining its budget increases.
Florida State Senator Shervin Jones, who represents District 34, voiced strong criticism of the governor’s approach.
“What this means is disproportionately targeting Democratic cities and counties like Broward and Miami-Dade, as the governor mentioned in his speech,” Jones said. “What this really means is treating these communities unequally and unfairly.”
“Let me be clear about something: where I stand, I am fully committed to fiscal responsibility,” Jones emphasized. “I have always been committed to fiscal responsibility, but it is important that we spend money efficiently. What the governor is trying to do, with his thinly veiled plans, is gut funding for colleges and universities — funding that the legislature, of which I am a part, has already approved.”
Jones added, “The people across the country have responded poorly to President Trump’s and co-President Elon’s DOGE initiative at the federal level, both Democrat and Republican, and the people of Florida will respond in kind to Governor DeSantis’ attempt to copy it.”
Local 10 News followed up with Broward County Administration to clarify the discrepancy between a social media user’s interpretation of the county’s budget and the county’s official statement, which you can read below.
Read the executive order creating the stage DOGE in the document below.
For more information on Broward County’s budget, please visit:
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