BRADENTON, Fla. - Slammed for overspending, Manatee County got an earful last week as Florida's chief financial officer took the local government to task.

State CFO Blaise Ingolia called Manatee County the worst his department has audited, so far. The results came from Florida's DOGE, the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight.

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Tuesday was the first Manatee County Commission meeting since those findings were released, and commissioners remained focused on spending and tracking every dollar.

It was the word on everyone's mind, but not on their lips.

"It's the public's money, and they want to know where it's going," said Manatee County Commissioner Dr. Bob McCann.

Commissioner Jason Bearden echoed that sentiment.

"Before we start talking about increasing fees, we ne

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