[Goldwingnut]

I received an email from Kenney Blocker this afternoon that included a forwarded email about this posting. The email concluded that I was encouraging people to vote no on the referendum in November, this in not and was never the intent of this post. The post simply (OK, maybe not so simply) explains the processes that are going on now to determine the cost impact of the IFD and why it is not possible to give an exact number until the property values area certified by the Property Appraiser in June of 2023. If anything, I believe that I have actually painted positive picture of what is to come for Villages residents if the IFD is approved. I'll try a brief recap.

1. For those serviced by VPSD there should be no noticeable difference in service if the IFD is approved or not. The Difference will be in the level of control of the funding by the county, will it stay the same or will it be completely independent of the county.
2. The county must identify the cost of all fire services, SCFD and VPSD, and remove it from the general fund budget. This will result in a decrease in the ad valorum tax for everyone in the county. This ensures you are only paying for one fire service, no matter where you live.
3. If approved there will be 2 fire districts in Sumter County next year. Each with its own funding sources - separate MSBU and MSTU for each. VPSD will also receive $4.08/month/property from the amenity fee we all pay. There are also other funding sources that may go into determining the MSBU/MSTU for each fire department. These new fees will replace the ad valorum tax decrease.

Now for my opinion on the topic. As a resident, I believe that this is the best thing for the residents of The Villages as our needs are very different and it is better that we have control over the funding mechanism. The residents of the proposed IFD are the only ones who have a vote in this issue, those serviced by the SCFD have no say.

What I haven't previously discussed is one portion of the math involved, the number and value of the properties involved. The Villages represents about 75-80% of the properties in Sumter County with a higher average property value. Both fire departments have operating budgets in a similar range, which means that 75-80% of the properties will have to cover an operating budget similar to the budget that 20-25% will have to cover. As it stands right now, VPSD residents may pay considerably less for annual fire service than SCFD residents may have to pay. The naysayers and ill-informed neglect to point this out as well as the requirements of the adjustments to the ad valorum property tax to prevent double taxing. Good news doesn't sell newspapers, fear does.

For every decision there are always unintended consequences.