Florida’s DOGE & The Magic Number – Top 3 Takeaways, August 6th, 2025
Takeaway #1: The Magic Number
What’s your favorite number? I remember that for my dad who grew up as a Mickey Mantle fan in New York, it was the number 6. For me, I can’t really say I’ve ever had a favorite number though when asked previously I’ve been known to say 13. That’s just to be a contrarian because I’m not superstitious and like challenging superfluous things like superstitions. If I were to come up with a more considered number today, I’d probably answer with the number 12 due to the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles (if that’s an important number for God that’s good enough for me). By the way, and also related for many, did you know that the most popular number cited is the number 7? Why 7? Common responses include the idea that the number seven is everywhere.... 7 days in a week, 7 colors in a rainbow, and 7 wonders of the world and slot machines treat 7 as a “lucky number”. It’s not too big, not too small, and it can’t be evenly split like so many other numbers. Some people say it just feels right. In any event, as Florida’s DOGE teams are out and about across the state DOGEing away in Alachua, Broward, Orange counties the magic number to look for in local government budgets is inflation plus population growth. Governor DeSantis cited the previous five years as an example of what the state was looking into. For example, have local governments flush with cash from soaring property values, and a strong economy, been abusing taxpayer money because it’s been available, as opposed to cutting taxes to offset unneeded increases? On that note...
Takeaway #2: Consider this
Here’s what the growth rate in county budgets has been over the past five years (fiscal years 2021-2025): Indian River County 27%, St. Lucie County 29%, Martin County 37%, Palm Beach County: 46%. Now, here’s the population growth rate for each during that time: Indian River County 9%, St. Lucie County 17%, Martin County 5%, Palm Beach County: 7%. That’s a lot of numbers I know but you already might be noticing where I’m going with this. I’ve got one more number for you before tying all of this together. It’s 24%. That’s the net ‘Bidenflation rate over the prior five years. This is how you can tell if your state and county governments are being more considerate of your money or using it to grow the size of government. The key to determining that number is to add the inflation rate and population growth rate and to subtract it from the budget number. When we do that here’s what we see... Indian River County -6%, St. Lucie County -12%, Martin County 8%, Palm Beach County: 15%. This tells a very specific story about how state and local governments are respecting your money. Indian River and St. Lucie are spending less on an inflation and population adjusted basis then they were five years ago. Martin County has grown the size of its government relative to it’s population by 8% and Palm Beach County by an especially significant 15%. This exercise helps illustrate governments where there should be obvious DOGEing to do and that’s assuming that there wasn’t already built in waste, fraud and abuse.
Takeaway #3: DeSantis is walking the talk
So, now how about we take a look at what’s been happening with the state of Florida? We can do this exercise for the state of Florida too. Florida’s net number over the same five years is –9%, meaning the state of Florida is spending 9% less money on an inflation and population adjusted basis compared to five years ago. Governor DeSantis, and the state of Florida generally, are walking the talk. The state has credibility on this issue. In comparison to the way the state of Florida has handled taxpayer money, Palm Beach County has performed 24% worse over the same period – with only St. Lucie of the local examples cited performing as well or better than the state at respecting our tax dollars. What’s even more remarkable, in context, is when you think about the incredible achievements that the state of Florida has achieved over this period of time – including universal school choice, which by the way, opponents said would be too expensive to do. Florida ranks at or near the top in government efficiency every year – spending 2.6 times less than the least efficient state (New York) while also maintaining the top economy in the country and with having ranked first or second in education each of the past three years. Without a doubt Florida is the best run state in the country and this DOGE exercise helps illustrate that point. So as local governments and leftists DeSantis critics express frustration and concern over this DOGEing process that’s underway – what they should instead be doing is addressing why they're not running local governments anywhere nearly as efficiently as the state. Imagine, for example, if you were to get a permanent 24% tax break in Palm Beach County? And that would only catch up to the state’s level of efficiency over the past five years. That should help paint the picture about what’s potentially on the line here. So, I’ll say again, especially in light of these findings. DOGE us please!