TAMPA, Fla. - State auditors are reviewing Hillsborough County’s $9 billion budget this week as part of a growing push to rein in local government spending across Florida.

The effort is being led by the Florida Department of Government Efficiency, or "DOGE" task force, which has also visited Manatee and Pinellas counties in recent weeks.

What we know:

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said the mission is simple: cut spending, and in turn, cut property taxes.

"What we’re planning on doing is going around and trying to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse on a local level," Ingoglia said.

He said local budgets have become bloated and taxpayers would be upset if they truly understood where their money was going.

"This is all as a precursor and a pretext to reducing propert

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