Miami Beach to face audit from state after lawmaker alleges ‘mismanagement’
Miami Beach will face an audit from the state of Florida after a committee on Monday approved a lawmaker’s request to dig into the city’s operations.
The idea came from state Rep. Fabian Basabe, R-Miami Beach, who accused the city of “financial mismanagement” and “a lack of transparency” in a letter to the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee.
The committee met in Tallahassee and voted to grant Basabe’s request, directing Florida’s auditor general to conduct an operational audit.
“With a budget [Miami Beach’s] size and the responsibilities that we carry as a coastal community, transparency and partnership matter,” Basabe, a Miami Beach resident, said at Monday’s meeting. “An audit would help strengthen systems, reinforce public trust and support the residents we all serve.”
Basabe’s proposal passed without public comment or discussion among lawmakers.
The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, which includes members of Florida’s House and Senate, has the power to direct reviews by Auditor General Sherrill F. Norman, who acts as the state’s independent auditor.
In a statement to the Miami Herald, Miami Beach City Manager Eric Carpenter said: “The city undergoes comprehensive audits each year. We look forward to fully cooperating with the State to dispel any misinformation.”
READ MORE: State lawmaker wants a DOGE-like audit for Miami Beach. What to know
The Miami Beach audit is unrelated to the Florida Department of Government Efficiency, which is housed within Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office and modeled after the federal “DOGE” initiative previously led by Elon Musk. As part of that effort, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia has taken aim at spending decisions by Miami-Dade County, Broward County and the city of Miami.
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner has maintained a friendly relationship with DeSantis in recent years, as Meiner has praised the governor for supporting the city’s spring break crackdown and DeSantis has lauded Miami Beach’s ban on outdoor sleeping.
Still, the auditor general will be empowered to explore various concerns Basabe has cited and can highlight alleged waste, fraud and abuse in city spending and operations.
Over the next few weeks, the auditor general’s office will “establish the scope of our audit to address the concerns of Representative Basabe,” audit manager Derek Noonan told the Herald in an email. A final report will likely be released about a year after the audit begins, he said.
“Once we establish the audit scope, we will reach out to the City regarding the audit process and to establish onsite working space and will start requesting documentation shortly thereafter,” Noonan said.
Basabe has pointed to a wide range of alleged issues in Miami Beach: a budget that has risen in recent years to nearly $1 billion, a purported lack of transparency in procurement processes, funds spent on international travel related to a sister cities program, and arrests of the homeless population, among other items.
“Miami Beach has become a one-billion-dollar government operating without outside accountability,” Basabe wrote in a letter to the committee. “Residents are taxed heavily, while information is restricted. Infrastructure fails repeatedly. Procurement lacks transparency. Capital projects drag on for decades. And elected officials on the ground have no structural way to challenge the administrative establishment.”
The city of Miami Beach has an independent inspector general’s office overseen by Joseph Centorino, who formerly led the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. The office has “broad authority to initiate investigations and audits of city operations,” its website says, including the power to issue subpoenas.
Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez defended the city in a statement to the Herald, saying it has a “transparent, well-run, and fiscally strong government.” He noted that an ordinance he proposed earlier this year requires Centorino’s office to flag any proposed city actions that appear to violate city rules or that would result in “waste, fraud, abuse, or inefficiency.”
“We reduced our millage rate, maintain top bond ratings, hold record reserves, and closed the year with a surplus,” Fernandez said.
In a statement to the Herald after this story first published, Basabe said the concerns outlined in his audit request “are real and supported by public record.”
“If commissioners believe the city is operating properly, they should publicly support this audit with a resolution,” Basabe said.
Basabe, 47, has been highly critical of his home city during his tumultuous tenure as a state representative since 2022. He was reelected last year despite facing allegations during his first term that he slapped a legislative aide and that he sexually assaulted the aide and an intern.
Basabe denied the allegations. Investigations commissioned by the Florida House did not substantiate the claims.
This story has been updated to include a statement from the auditor general’s office and a statement from Basabe.
This story was originally published December 9, 2025 at 9:30 AM.
