Quote:
Originally Posted by Byte1
Since I am an aging senior and may be a bit slow at comprehending a lot of verbiage, can someone please answer what I consider a very simple question? It may have been addressed, but maybe someone can simplify it in plain English that I can understand.
Question:
If we vote yes, then TV (Sumter Co portion) has it's own Fire Dept and is responsible for the financing of it?
If we vote NO, then the whole county (Sumter) continues to pay for the Fire Dept? Since it would be a WHOLE county tax payers financed service then we would share the cost? If we segregate to a private Fire Dept. then TV portion of Sumter Co. would be responsible for the WHOLE cost?
Sorry, more than one question.
Just a thought: Seems like if we take on the added responsibility of financing our own FD, then this would be similar to paying our bonds that supposedly pays for Infrastructure in TV. I've paid my bond off, but adding the TVFD financing to my taxes seems like it would be like tacking another uncapped bond to my yearly tax. Right now, we pay for the FD but the whole county shares the cost, not just TV. Or am I mistaken?
If I am right, I can see NO justification for voting "YES"
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There are two fire companies that service the county today: VPSD inside the Villages and SCFD outside.
The county could, at any time, choose to merge the VPSD and the SCFD. At that point we would all share in the cost of the combined service. At that point we would all share in the benefits and the problems of the combined service.
Yes, the costs for the VPSD are shared with the entire county. HOWEVER, so are the costs for the SCFD. You and I pay for both. The guy down in Webster pays for both.
Under the IFD, only the Villagers (and those non-Villagers inside the IFD boundaries) would pay for the VPSD.
If the county moves forward with what they have projected then only those county residents outside the IFD boundaries would pay for the SCFD (you and I would not)
You currently pay something like 1.65mils towards the combined VPSD and SCFD. If the IFD passes and the 0.1mil estimate is correct then you will pay approximately 1.1mils towards the VPSD and nothing towards the SCFD. You will still pay for fire protection, it will just be on a separate line and it will likely be less than today.
(IMPORTANT: We don't yet know how the county will fund the SCFD so it is only an assumption that we will not continue to pay for the SCFD through our property taxes)