DOGE Audit Response
Mayor D.C. Reeves expressed surprise at learning about Florida DOGE’s audit findings through a public press conference rather than receiving the report directly, especially after city staff provided extensive documentation during the investigation.
- “We had a team stop and drop what they were doing, 47 people, 60,000 emails, 50 miles of paperwork that had to be done very, very quickly,” Reeves said during his Tuesday press conference.
The mayor took issue with several items highlighted by DOGE, particularly those related to the Saenger Theatre and the “Welcome to Pensacola” sign.
Saenger Theatre Profitability: Reeves defended the city’s arrangement with the historic theater, clarifying a common misconception about its finances.
“The Saenger. There was already a misperception locally that the city gives it $150,000. The problem is you have to just read the budget in a little more detail and say, ‘Well, yeah, it gives $150,000, but you also have to see what comes in,” Reeves explained. “We’re proud of it. It’s not easy to run a public facility, one that is historic and that ornate, and to be able to run it for profit.”…