Quote:
Originally Posted by Robbie0723
Of course any impact fees would be passed on to the new homeowners.
Even though present homeowners benefit from expansion by a strong local economy and lower tax increases when new taxpayers are added. That's why taxes have not increased the past 10 years.
The bill allows up to a 50% (prorated) increase in fees
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You know there are residents of Sumter County outside the Villages, whose streets are impassible with potholes. There are residents of Sumter, Marion, and Lake County whose children have sub-par public education, but can't afford private school for their kids. You know there's an entire section of the Ocala Forest filled with homeless people (yes, there are drug addicts among them but there are also just flat out poor people too), who have no resources to build themselves up to a better life, because those resources rely primarily on donations from people who are choosing to spend their money on dinner at Augustine's and trips back to their summer homes up north instead. You know there are tens of thousands of underpaid workers who have chosen to accept a handout from the government, because the federal government is willing to give them a living wage, and if they stay at their jobs they have to apply for food stamps and housing credits and medicaid (courtesy of the taxpayer).
Our tax dollars will pay for all of this, whether the developers pass their impact fee on to homebuyers or not. Whether we spend it on medicaid for the homeless, or improving schools so fewer people NEED medicaid, or fixing roads to people can get to work - since "public transit" is a joke in this state...
I'd like to see a reduction in taxes and an increase in services. That will NEVER happen so long as development continues developing at the pace it develops, while the developer pockets the profits and doesn't share the wealth with the county that provides it with all its permits.