[Villages Kahuna]

C’ mon folks, think about what we read (“fed to us”) in the Daily Sun).

— The newest three County commissioners ARE the result of recalling three that simply voted any way the Developer wanted. Sumter County residents have already recalled commissioners who they felt had not acted in their best interests. Two more will be up for election in 2020.

With regard to the construction and funding of infrastructure for expanding residential and commercial development...

—-In most communities agreements on what infrastructure is needed and to will pay for it is the result of an arms length negotiation between the government and the Developer. The Developer’s obligation is collected by the Country in the form of an Impact Fee. That has not been possible in Sumter County because the commissioners were all essentially the Developer’s appointees, in almost all cases Developer or contractor employees. So the Developer decided what infrastructure was needed and who would pay for it.

—Normally in residential development the Developer pays for the necessary roads, utilities, etc. and then passes the cost on to residents in the form of an increase in the house prices.

—In The Villages the cost of infrastructure in each “village” is paid for with the proceeds of a municipal bond issued by the Developer and sold to investors. Here in TV that bond is divided equally and becomes the obligation of each home buyer, making the selling price of the home look less expensive, but still passing the cost of the infrastructure on the local homeowners who benefit.

—Until recently the cost of infrastructure needed for more extensive roads and commercial projects was paid for by the Developer and paid for with a portion of the rents collected from commercial tenants.

— A couple years ago the Developer and his “appointed” county commissioners came up with a different idea for paying for new infrastructure in the new southern portions of TV. They increased property taxes on ALL residents of Sumter County, even those 10-15 miles away in the northern end of TV who would almost never use the commercial development in the new southern end of TV.

—Sumter County residents expressed their dissatisfaction with a 25% increase in their property taxes by electing three new commissioners in the 2020 general election. Those new commissioners ran on a promise to roll back that tax increase.

—Three three new commissioners acted on their campaign promise and voted to roll back the tax increase. That is what has resulted in reactions which can easily be tracked back to the Developer, including scheduling public hearings at inconvenient locations, filling the parking lots at public hearings with contractor’s vehicles, all the articles published in The Daily Sun describing how the tax rollback will stall development in TV and put lots of people out of work, a lawsuit asking the new commissioners for their records and communications prior to and after their election, and now the bill recently introduced in the state legislature (by a state rep who is an executive of our Developer) limiting the amount of impact fees required to be paid by developers.

—All that this sturm and drang regarding the new taxes and their rollback does nothing more than re-open the question of what new infrastructure is necessary and who will pay for it?

—Will there be an arm’s length negotiation between the county commissioners and the Developer on what infrastructure is necessary for the planned commercial development, how much the Developer should pay in the form of impact fees, and how much will become the obligation of all the residents of the county.


—The amount paid in impact fees by the Developer would normally be collected in the form of higher commercial rents. If the cost of the commercial development can be passed on to all county residents in the form of increased property taxes, the Developer can either set rents at a lower level and lease up space more quickly, or keep rents high and increase his profit margins.

—Will the pace of commercial development slow or stop in the southern end of TV? If the Developer refuses to pay for such infrastructure as he has in the past, maybe so. If the increased property taxes are reinstated, the Developer can proceed at the high pace he desires, maintaining or even increasing his profits to the extent he can pass development costs on to residents in the form of property taxes..

The Villages Developer has as acted in a way which benefits his interests as he should. Now the question becomes will the residents of Sumter County require their elected County commissioners to protect resident’s interests? If new commercial development really will benefit the county (in the form of new tax revenues from new businesses as an example), it might be justified to require all county residents to pay for a portion of the construction of the new roads, utilities, and other new commercial infrastructure.

As individuals what we should all make the effort to become aware of needs, plans and costs of continued development in The Villages and decide what’s in it for us? Then we should elect representatives who will represent us and protect our interests. But it all starts with residents taking the time and seeking the sources of information so they can make decisions on who they choose to represent them on the Sumter County Commission.