Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday his plan to create a Florida version of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a task force that would conduct sweeping audits of universities, counties, and cities while eliminating more than 70 state boards and commissions.
The proposed “DOGE task force” would use artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline government operations and eliminate about 740 state jobs, though DeSantis said some agencies, such as the Department of Corrections, would receive additional staffing.
“This is the DOGE-ing of our state university system, and I think it’s going to be good for taxpayers,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Tampa. “And it’s ultimately going to be good for students as well.”
The one-year initiative mirrors Musk’s federal DOGE program, which has fired more than 200,000 federal employees and stalled trillions in federal grants, sparking lawsuits and concerns over executive overreach.
Local government oversight
Beyond state-level audits, DeSantis suggested the DOGE model could be applied to local governments, stating, “We want to do a DOGE on some of these local governments.”
While he did not specify which cities or counties would be targeted, the use of AI-powered audits could significantly impact local governments in South Florida, including Sunrise, Miramar, and Lauderhill—cities that rely on state funding for infrastructure, education, and community programs. Many of these cities also boast diverse leadership and employ a significant number of Caribbean-Americans, raising concerns about how DOGE audits and funding cuts could affect these communities.
AI, according to DeSantis, would analyze government contracts for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) provisions, which he opposes. “AI picks up on that, flags it for us, and then we could put the kibosh on it,” he said.
Leaders across the state and South Florida counties are assessing how the state-imposed audits could affect local services, budgets, and employment. Cities with robust public sector employment or DEI initiatives could see funding cuts or program rollbacks if flagged by the AI system.
Florida universities and state agencies in the crosshairs
DeSantis also announced that the task force will deeply examine Florida’s university system, focusing on financial management, debt, staffing, and course programming.
“Some of the ideological study stuff, we just want to prune that and get that out,” he said.
Shortly after the press conference, DeSantis issued an executive order establishing a “DOGE Team” within the state Office of Policy and Budget and directed each state agency to create its own DOGE team.
He also took to X (formerly Twitter) to state that his administration “will also be working with the Legislature to authorize the DOGE-ing of local governments.” However, he did not clarify what legislative action would be required to audit and restructure city and county governments.
If DeSantis moves forward with his DOGE initiative, questions will arise about its legality, scope, and potential conflicts of interest—issues that have already plagued Musk’s federal DOGE program. Multiple lawsuits argue that Musk’s task force is unconstitutional, as it bypasses Congress’ authority over federal spending and halts funds already allocated.
If Florida’s version follows a similar path, it could lead to legal challenges from cities, universities, and affected employees.
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