Forget DOGE and Musk: Lee County clerk introduces CoGE


  • By Mark Gordon
  • | 8:10 a.m. January 30, 2025
  • | 2 Free Articles Remaining!
Chief of Government Efficiency John Bodner
Chief of Government Efficiency John Bodner
Photo by Travis Bell
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Without mentioning the federal version by name, Lee County Clerk and Comptroller Kevin Karnes has announced the creation of a new type of role aimed at saving taxpayer dollars: the chief of government efficiency.

Also known as CoGE, the role is modeled after President Donald Trump’s much-talked about DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency. In a Jan. 20 executive order, the Trump administration says DOGE’s purpose is “to implement the president’s DOGE agenda, by modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.” Tesla founder Elon Musk has been appointed to run DOGE. 

In a similar vein, Karnes, a Republican appointed to the role by Gov. Ron DeSantis in March 2022 and elected countywide that August, says Lee County’s CoGE “will focus on identifying cost-saving measures and providing strategic recommendations to help reduce the office’s budget, streamline operations, and promote a culture of excellence.” 

John Bodner, the clerk’s chief administrative officer, has been named to the CoGE position, the release states, effective Feb. 3. Bodner joined the agency in 2023 and previously served as the assistant county administrator in Lancaster County, South Carolina. He was also previously CFO of Lee County Tax Collector’s office. The clerk’s chief administrative officer position will be discontinued, the release states. (Trump’s executive order says DOGE is temporary.)



In his position Bodner will look at budgets and expenses with a different lens from internal auditors, who traditionally focus on different priorities, Karnes says in the statement. The chief of government efficiency will determine if purchases are mission critical to the clerk’s office and make recommendations to the clerk on whether the expense was a good use of taxpayer dollars, he adds. 

The role will also be responsible for regular research projects that are centered around the clerk’s cost-saving initiatives and overall performance.

“Creating this new role is the right thing to do for the taxpayer,” Karnes says in the release. “As Lee County’s Clerk and Comptroller, I understand the importance of being a good steward of taxpayer money. I hear the sensitivity surrounding government budgets and am committed to doing something about it.”

 

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Mark Gordon

Mark Gordon is the managing editor of the Business Observer. He has worked for the Business Observer since 2005. He previously worked for newspapers and magazines in upstate New York, suburban Philadelphia and Jacksonville.

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