Commissioners approve participation with state DOGE team and create liaison advisory committee; vote 6–1

Hillsborough County commissioners voted 6–1 on April 2 to commit the county to fully and transparently participate in the Executive Office of the Governor’s DOGE team process and to create a citizen Hillsborough DOGE Liaison Advisory Committee to provide subject-matter advice and monthly written updates.

Commissioner Christine Miller, who presented the item, said guarding against “unwise spending and unnecessary waste is of the highest importance to me” and that the county should both cooperate with state review and provide additional professional citizen input. Miller proposed a liaison committee of five citizen members appointed by majority vote of the board, each a county resident and registered voter, and each with at least one qualifying credential (for example, accountant, economist, certified auditor, IT or human-resources professional). She said the committee would meet at least monthly for one year after state engagement and produce monthly written updates and a final report.

Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda offered an amendment to remove language referencing “any amended executive order and any related executive order” and to expand committee appointments to seven members nominated one per commissioner. That amendment failed on a 1–6 vote. The final motion — to authorize the chair to sign a letter to the governor committing the county to cooperate with the DOGE team, approve a supporting resolution for transmittal to the governor, and create the liaison advisory committee in the form presented — passed 6–1. Commissioner Harry Cohen voted no.

County Administrator Bonnie Wise told the board staff had worked with Commissioner Miller’s office on the proposal and that staff was comfortable with the approach. Speakers during the public comment period raised concerns about state influence, transparency, and the county’s autonomy; commissioners debated whether a five-member, staff-supported liaison panel or direct board oversight was the better model for ensuring transparency and capacity to handle what staff described as potentially labor-intensive reviews.

The liaison committee’s duties, as approved, include monthly written updates to the board and a final report; the committee may be extended only by majority vote of the board. The board’s action also authorizes the chair to sign a letter and directs the county administrator to transmit the resolution to the governor’s office. The item record cites participation under the governor’s referenced executive order.