Jacksonville’s participation in Florida’s new DOGE audit program should be simple. But instead of welcoming independent oversight, Mayor Donna Deegan has raised eyebrows by refusing to complete a standard authorization form requested by the State CFO’s office.

Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis didn’t mince words. In a tweet Tuesday, he said:

“If you need an auditor to sign a legal waiver to do their job, you shouldn’t be a government official.”

Mayor Deegan responded by claiming the city needed a legal waiver signed to limit liability—but why complicate a straightforward review of public records?

DOGE isn’t some political stunt. It’s a bipartisan initiative for fiscal transparency. Citizens have a right to know how local tax dollars are being spent, and state officials shouldn’t be stonewalled with red tape or legal gymnastics.

This is not a courtroom. It’s City Hall. Jacksonville has the opportunity to lead by example. The solution is simple: open the books and let the auditors do their job.

Because when taxpayers are footing the bill, the books should be open!