Cape Coral’s DOGE Report: Beyond the headlines, millions in potential savings
To the editor:
Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently completed its review of Cape Coral.
Our city manager was quick to congratulate himself on DOGE’s description of Cape Coral as lean. He was considerably less eager to discuss the millions in potential savings, excessive management layers, and procurement concerns identified in that very same report.
But what does lean actually mean?
DOGE compared municipal employees per 1,000 residents against other governments in its dataset. Cape Coral fell below the median across many functions.
I believe Cape Coral’s relatively lean staffing is largely explained by two characteristics of our city — not exceptional government efficiency.
First, Cape Coral has a substantial seasonal population. Many property owners live here only part of the year, reducing year-round demand for certain municipal services.
Second, Cape Coral has a relatively limited commercial and industrial base. We’re predominantly residential, without the concentration of businesses and industry that can increase municipal staffing requirements elsewhere.
Those characteristics help explain why Cape Coral has fewer municipal employees per 1,000 residents. They don’t establish that city government operates efficiently.
And DOGE’s own findings reinforce my point.
DOGE identified $3.8 million to $6.5 million in potential annual personnel savings through staffing and organizational changes.
It examined 174 civilian managers across as many as nine management layers, identifying up to 20 supervisors with zero or one direct report and as many as 17 management positions that could be restructured or realigned.
DOGE also identified vacant civilian positions that could potentially be eliminated rather than filled, offering opportunities to reduce personnel costs and unnecessary management overhead without simply cutting frontline services.
Procurement findings were equally important.
DOGE identified unusually high levels of sole-source and limited-competition contracting, along with more than $100 million in contract amendments and change orders across recent fiscal years.
That $100 million is not proven waste, but the level of limited competition and contract modifications warrants scrutiny.
DOGE also recommended reviewing purchasing controls, capital project bidding, and opportunities to consolidate administrative functions and technology services.
Regarding Police, DOGE identified 84 vacant positions, representing approximately $7 million in budgeted salaries. DOGE cautioned that money allocated to hire police officers should not be diverted to other expenditures simply because those positions remain vacant. Those funds should remain available to meet the city’s law enforcement staffing needs.
Importantly, DOGE did not conduct a comprehensive performance audit of every city function.
Its review did not resolve questions about the Utility Expansion Project, Community Redevelopment Agency, Fire Service Assessment, pension obligations, employee benefits, capital projects, or measurable police and fire performance.
Consider the FY2027 budget: Stormwater spending was slashed 13.1%, while Police and Fire operating budgets increased approximately 7-8%. DOGE did not determine whether those priorities were justified.
Nor did it resolve the city’s five-year financial forecast projecting almost $100 million in deficit spending
DOGE did not establish fraud or illegal spending. But that was not the purpose of its review, and the absence of such findings does not mean Cape Coral is operating efficiently.
DOGE explicitly described its recommendations as a starting point and offered to provide additional supporting detail.
City Council should accept that offer, publicly examine the findings, establish measurable corrective actions, and report the results to taxpayers.
Cape Coral taxpayers don’t need the city manager to whitewash DOGE’s report. They need City Council to act on its findings.
Because every taxpayer matters.
Stuart “Wes” Owen
Cape Coral