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Agenda 04/22/2025 Item #10 A (Resolution supporting the EOG DOGE Team, committing Collier County to collaborate, and appointing the County Manager as liaison to provide updates.)4/22/2025 Item # 10.A ID# 2025-1253 Executive Summary Recommendation to approve a Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners supporting the EOG DOGE Team effort and (1) commit Collier County to collaborate with the EOG DOGE Team; (2) direct the County Manager to transmit the Resolution to the Governor, and (3) appoint the County Manager as liaison to the EOG DOGE Team and provide regular updates to the Board regarding relevant EOG DOGE activities. OBJECTIVE: To support Executive Order 25-44 for fiscal and efficiency review and appoint the County Manager as the liaison to the EOG DOGE Team. CONSIDERATIONS: On February 24, 2025, Governor DeSantis signed Executive Order 25-44, Ensuring Government Efficiency, which established within the Office of Policy and Budget in the Executive Office of the Governor a Department of Efficiency Team (“EOG DOGE”). The EOG DOGE Team is responsible for assisting local governments in identifying unnecessary spending, eliminating waste, and saving taxpayers’ money. The Resolution supports the partnership with the EOG DOGE Team. The Resolution also (1) directs the County Manager and County staff to be available and support EOG DOGE Team requests and to provide any necessary access and requested information to the EOG DOGE Team as expeditiously as possible, and (2) directs the County Manager to serve as the point of contact for all EOG DOGE Team-related inquiries, to provide a copy of this Resolution to the Governor and his EOG DOGE team, and provide regular updates to the Board regarding relevant EOG DOGE activities. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no Financial Impact associated with this item. GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no Growth Management Impact associated with this item. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item is approved as to form and legality and requires majority vote for approval. - JAK RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendation to approve a Resolution in support of the EOG DOGE Team effort and assign the County Manager as point of contact for the EOG DOGE Team. PREPARED BY: Chris Hall, Commissioner of District 2 ATTACHMENTS: 1. DOGE Resolution 2. EO 25-44 DOGE Page 764 of 6355 Page 765 of 6355 Page 766 of 6355 STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF tHE GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 25-44 (Ensuring Government Efficiency) WHEREAS, state and local governments should be efficient, effective, transparent, and responsive and should be held accountable for achieving these goals; and WHEREAS, fiscal accountability is necessary to ensure good government and to minimize financial burdens on the taxpayer; ·and WHEREAS, all levels of government should continue to work to eliminate unnecessary and inappropriate spending; and WHEREAS, the State of Florida has a strong record ofresponsible fiscal management and stewardship; and WHEREAS, in addition to balancing the budget each year, my Administration has consistently strived toward streamlining government; and WHEREAS, for example, the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 "Focus on Florida's Future" Budget saved Florida taxpayers $3.5 billion; and WHEREAS, Florida has paid down 41 % of the State's total historic tax-supported debt since 2019; and WHEREAS, Florida's debt per capita is estimated to have decreased by 54% from $1,457 in Fiscal Year 2010-2011 to $664 in Fiscal Year 2023-2024; and WHEREAS, the State has maintained a triple-A credit rating, has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country, and has increased rainy-day reserves by over $9.4 billion; and 1 Page 767 of 6355 WHEREAS, my Administration's proposed Fiscal Year 2025-2026 "Focus on Fiscal Responsibility" Budget will lower spending even further, saving Florida taxpayers $3 billion compared to the current year budget; and WHEREAS, the proposed Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget eliminates over 740 state government positions, recommends $2.2 billion in tax relief, and requires a thorough review of federal grant funding received and expended in the State; and WHEREAS, Florida has the lowest ratio of state government workers to population; and WHEREAS, because of Florida's low regulatory footprint, Florida has consistently been ranked one of the top states in which to conduct business; and WHEREAS, notwithstanding Florida's history of prudent fiscal management relative to many states in the country, the State should nevertheless endeavor to explore opportunities for even better stewardship of state and local resources; and WHEREAS, for example, the Trump Administration has created the Department of Government Efficiency ("DOGE") to employ innovative technology to identify and eliminate unnecessary and oftentimes frivolous spending, to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity, and to reform the federal workforce; and WHEREAS, the State of Florida should leverage cutting edge technology to identify further spending reductions and reforms in state agencies, university bureaucracies, and local governments that have increased their spending, to include identifying and returning unnecessary federal grant funding. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RON DESANTIS, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section l(a) of the Florida Constitution, and all other applicable laws, promulgate the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect: 2 Page 768 of 6355 Section 1. There shall be established within the Office of Policy and Budget in the Executive Office of the Governor (EOG) an EOG DOGE Team. The EOG DOGE Team shall be responsible for (1) ensuring compliance with this Executive Order; (2) using publicly available information to identify and report unnecessary spending within county and municipal governments; (3) coordinating with the Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida and the State Board .of Education to identify and eliminate unnecessary spending, programs, courses, staff, and any other inefficiencies within the State University System and the Florida College System; and (4) recommending legislative reforms to promote efficiency, maximize productivity, and eliminate waste in state and local government. The EOG DOGE Team shall report any legislative recommendations to the Governor, the Chief Financial Officer, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives no later than September 30, 2025. Section • 2. Each state agency shall establish an Agency DOGE Team that shall be responsible for (1) utilizing advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, as part of ongoing efforts to identify and eliminate unnecessary spending, programs, or contracts within the agency; (2) identifying any pending or funded federal grant awards that are inconsistent with the policies of this State and should be returned to the American taxpayer in furtherance of the President's DOGE efforts; and (3) recommending administrative or legislative reforms to promote efficiency, maximize productivity, and . eliminate waste in state and local government, including recommendations to leverage modern technology and to eliminate the duplication of services, reduce fees, and cut overhead. Each Agency DOGE Team shall report its progress on the foregoing responsibilities to the EOG DOGE Team on a monthly basis until this Executive Order expires. 3 Page 769 of 6355 Section 3. The Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida and the State Board of Education shall collaborate with the EOG DOGE Team to identify and eliminate unnecessary spending , programs, courses, staff, and any other inefficiencies within the State University System and the Florida College System. Section 4. This Executive Order shall be implemented in accordance with state and federal law and with existing staff and funding. To the maximum extent possible, agencies should employ the most i1movative teclmology feasible to carry out the responsibilities assigned in this Executive Order. Section 5. This Executive Order is effective immediately and shall expire on March 31, 2026. ATTEST: IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee , this 24th day of February, 2025. • t" ; .. ; •• f '.: ....,--i :-... , ) .'Jt.1."i« c... ~.~ ... j r •1 4 Page 770 of 6355