St. Pete Residents Protest Florida DOGE on First Day of Audit

St. Pete residents protest Florida DOGE on first day of audit

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A team of auditors with the Florida DOGE arrived Wednesday morning at the St. Petersburg City Hall. This is a two-day effort to comb through the city’s finances in person and ask city staff follow-up questions. Hours after the team arrived, protestors were at City Hall to express their concerns. One of them was Mary McMullen. “We don't need them telling us how to spend our money and how we should live,” McMullen sai…

State audit of St. Petersburg sparks heated exchange at City Hall

Protesters gathered outside at noon and returned later in the day, upset that the state is questioning budget decisions made by their local elected officials.

As Florida DOGE comes to St. Petersburg, local residents push back

Citizens protesting Florida DOGE in front of City Hall in St. Petersburg on Aug. 13, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)ST. PETERSBURG — State-appointed auditors came to St. Petersburg Wednesday to begin two days reviewing spending by Mayor Ken Welch and the majority Democratic-led City Council. Confronting them was a group of local residents in front of City Hall who declared they didn’t trust what the DeSantis administration says is t…

St. Pete protestors, DOGE chief clash at City Hall

A group of protestors interrupted Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia early and often as he briefly addressed the media Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg. The state’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is conducting on-site audits in the city as part of a statewide crackdown on alleged financial misconduct. Ingoglia, standing in the City Hall foyer, said he “affectionately” refers to the agency as FAFO – a widely known ac…