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Originally Posted by angiefox10
That someone would post there will be no more entertainment is an over reaction and I'm pretty sure promoted by the incumbents. . The money is money that goes to tourism and this is how it breaks down.
"Villages Charter School gets $106,000 The Wildwood Middle High School gets $5,000. The Blackjack gun club they belong to gets $105,000 Bushnell Fall Festival gets $9,000 Villages Entertainment gets $120,000. The Villages Softball club gets $20,000. The Southern Draft Horse Contest gets $50,000. The Villages VHA Hoedown gets $37,500."
The incumbents wanted to pick out the entertainment (easy pick) and say that entertainment would go away. Why? Do you think the developers can't afford it? I assure you they can and It's how they sell homes.
"According to Bloomberg, the family’s wealth crossed the $3 billion mark in 2018, making Mark Morse, Jennifer Parr, and Tracy Mathews all billionaires."
I have no issues with the developers making money but then why are we paying for the things they should be paying for while businesses and tourism that could use it go without?
First let me say this money in the past has ONLY gone to Brownwood. Lake Sumter and Spanish Springs has not gotten the money previously and sill, this year only Brownwood and Lake Sumter are getting the money, and yet the entertainment has gone on without it at Lake Sumter and Spanish Springs.
The entertainment is NOT going to stop because the commissioners don't give them this money.... If it does, it's on the developers because they are responsible for entertainment NOT the county. If you look at the breakdown of the money most of it goes to the developers. Even when it doesn't look like it does, if you drill down you will find that it does go to the developers or T and D.
Why is it wrong to ask the developers to pay their fair share? Why can't money be spread all over the county and not just The Villages? Isn't that what representatives are supposed to do? To represent EVERYONE or is it just one family? The Morse family does live here (although I'm told they are moving out soon)
AND I might add, I don't believe there has been entertainment at the squares for months and may not be for many months to come so there is that.
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Have you ever wondered how communities build football stadiums, baseball parks, etc.? They issue bonds then payoff the bonds by enacting hotel taxes, rental car taxes, and extra sales taxes, etc. It is not the team owners financing the stadiums. The same thing is happening here on a smaller scale. The hotel tax is used for paying for the entertainment on the squares. If this is taken away, I would expect the entertain to end. At least at LSL and Brownwood.
I hope these guys lose. It seems they will be just anti-developer and do anything to “stick-it” to the Morse family. That is not what we need to grow. Let’s face it, the Morse family can walk away from The Villages anytime they want. Think about all the jobs and opportunities that would be lost.