When Blaise Ingoglia began his Aug. 14 press conference, there were already over a couple dozen people in the heat at St. Petersburg City Hall holding signs to demonstrate against the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The noon press conference was an opportunity for DeSantis’ newly-appointed Chief Financial Officer to speak with the public about Florida DOGE’s presence in the city and what it hoped to accomplish.
But Ingoglia skipped details about which programs it was looking out for, and instead said the organization will first look for and then flag any “wasteful spending.” He declined to provide any specifics.
At one point during the visit, a resident yelled from the hall that, “St. Pete should be allowed to decide how we spend our money!”
Ingoglia taunted demonstrators inside city hall whenever they would interject, even telling them that he could give away “I heart wasteful spending” swag. He then stated that the state wants municipalities to spend more on police and the fire department.
Ingoglia was asked for comment about demonstrators saying the actions of the state undermine the will of the people who elected the local officials in St. Pete.
He said that “most people” would not agree with what he calls “wasteful spending.” He also claimed that almost 70% of people support property tax relief, citing a survey conducted by Tyson Group in Duval County, more than 200 miles away from St. Pete City Hall. Without context, he added that the elected officials don’t have the best interest of the voters—and then left.
After Ingoglia’s conference, St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard told San Pedro Gazette that she looks forward to seeing Florida DOGE’s report, but refutes any idea that there is wasteful spending in the city.
“I feel confident and very much believe that we represent the desires, wishes and the needs of this residence that we serve, and we will continue to do so in the city of St Petersburg,” she added. “And I look forward to looking for any ways that we can continue to collaborate with the state to do what’s right for the residents.”
Copley Gerdes, St. Pete’s District 1 Councilman addressed reporters outside before the conference, giving credit to city staff, which compiled a lot of data and documents for the DOGE team, and saying residents should be happy with how St. Pete continues to operate.
“They’ve got leadership in the mayor and a council that cares very deeply about not only how the money is spent, but the cultural background of St Petersburg, its history, and what we’ve got going on here,” Gerdes said. “We’re going to continue to celebrate that.”
The day before, St. Petersburg Mayor issued a statement saying the city had a successful first day with Ingoglia’s DOGE team, reiterating the city is complying with all requests and providing information and clarification to its visitors.
“As we continue through this process, our main priority remains inclusive progress for our city, based on our shared values, and moving forward with clarity, purpose and integrity,” Welch added.
CORRECTION 08/15/25 5:45 p.m. Gerdes addressed the reporter before the Florida DOGE presser, not after.
