City Hall spending is going to get an examination from the outside.

The state’s “DOGE,” named after the Trump Administration’s Dept. of Government Efficiency,” will take a look at local taxes and spending to see if there is more of it than necessary.

With only a cursory look, they should find what they seek.

News stories mention property taxes as being high, but that may not be the place to look.

There has been growth in property taxes but there also has been growth in property values. Politicians can reap big returns just by keeping the tax rate the same when the tax roll is swelling rapidly.

During a period when the general fund tax rate actually declined slightly, tax revenues soared.

The city general fund collected $530 million in property taxes in 2015 and $1 billion last year.

But, while the property tax revenue nearly doubled, the income per capita for Jax residents increased only 37 percent.

Florida Tax Watch publishes a comparison of taxes in all Florida counties each year. In the most recent publication, Duval does not rank near the top.

For example, Duval ranks 23^rd in per capita total property tax levies (2022-23) and well below the statewide average.

The only property tax comparison Duval ranks highly in is growth in the tax rate. Among the state’s 67 counties, it was 7^th, with a growth rate of 56 percent in 15 years.

There was a 39 percent increase in taxable value from 2021 to last year, according to the city’s audit.

Duval ranks fourth, behind Monroe, Leon and Dade, in total county and local government revenue per capita. It holds the same ranking in spending per capita.

Therefore, local government spends a lot of Other People’s Money, just not from property taxes alone.

There are many other taxes, such as sales, gasoline, communications, tourist development, public services and building permit fees are a few.

Mayor Donna Deegan, Democrat, wants to spend $4 billion next year on local government, not including the independent authorities. The City Council currently is examining that proposal to see if all the spending is justified.

Many taxpayers might question frills such as the Emerald Trail, or unvetted projects such as septic tank replacement.

Having outside eyes looking at the city’s spending will be a bonus, and most useful if completed before the new budget is enacted into law, which is scheduled to take place next month.