FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — State officials are calling out the City of Fort Pierce for what they describe as a pattern of “wasteful spending,” alleging that the city mismanages over $10 million in taxpayer funds every year.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia criticized the city’s fiscal trajectory, noting that while the local population has only grown by 10%, the city’s budget has ballooned by 60%.
Following these criticisms, the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO) determined that the city could significantly reduce its millage rate without sacrificing essential services. FAFO found that Fort Pierce could lower its rate by 1.93 mills, which would translate to substantial annual savings for homeowners:
- A taxable home value of $400,000 would save $772 per year
- A taxable home value of $500,000 would save $965 per year
- A taxable home value of $600,000 would save $1,158 per year
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