[Advogado]

The Sumter County website states: “An impact fee is a one time charge applied to new construction. The purpose of the fee is to fund capital projects for roads (such as construction, land acquisition, [sic]). Impact fees can be charges for parks, schools, jails, ambulances and other infrastructure needs that may occur due to new development.”

An impact fee is paid by the builder of a new house when he gets his building permit.

In order to pay for the massive infrastructure impact of the Developer’s massive expansion of The Villages, the Developer’s toadies on the County Commission imposed a 25 percent property-tax increase on Sumter County residents instead of increasing the Developer’s impact fee. The Developer’s impact fee was already set at a sweetheart rate ($901/house for the Developer versus $2,600/for a single-family house outside The Villages in Sumter County and versus $20,000/house in a retirement community in Collier County). It appears by enacting the tax increase in lieu of an increased impact fee, the Commissioners saved the Developer well over $100,000,000 and cost the taxpayers the same amount.

Both the Property Owners’ Association (the “POA”) and the deceptively named Villages Homeowners Advocates (the “VHA”) responded to this outrage, but in starkly different ways. Their different responses show which organization advocates for the residents and which one advocates for the Developer.

The POA Bulletin devoted most of its latest issue to describing the misconduct involved in the recent property tax increase.

In the VHA’s latest bulletin, which is delivered by the Developer’s Daily Sun, the VHA President says, “A significant number of our members have approached me about why The VHA has not made more noise about the planned tax increase in Sumter County. I want you to know that The VHA is very interested in this issue and is in communication with the County Commissioners about it. It is, however, not The VHA’s role to be involved in what is rapidly becoming a political fight….It is not the Developer’s fault….”

That attitude tells you all you need to know about the VHA, but readers should also understand that the Developer promotes VHA officials to political positions. Commissioner Burgess is a former VHA president, and Commissioner Butler is a former VHA director. By the way, both are up for re-election as Commissioner next year. (One would hope that they have the good sense not to seek reelection.)

VHA members may want to think about the above when deciding whether or not to renew their memberships.

Full disclosure: My name is Scott Fenstermaker. I am a member of the POA and sporadically attend their membership meetings. I have never been an officer or director of the POA. I used to also be a member of the VHA, but I let my membership expire some years ago once I realized the relationship of that organization with the Developer. I have collaborated with no one in the POA in writing the above article, and the views expressed therein are solely my own.