[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by jump4

Do you think we need an Independent Fire District? Please consider the following:

--- fire control service within The Villages has been working well for many years. It is funded by Sumter County tax revenue and operated by The Village Public Safety Department. The County has always provided adequate funding for this.
--- Sumter County canceled the poor-performing AMR contract ambulance service
--- Sumter County decided to use the successful fire control service as a model for creating a new locally-run ambulance service.

Sumter County decided to study the poor ambulance service and subsequently to add ambulances to the fire stations only after a large outcry by the residents of the Villages. The service was poor under county control. The way to fix the service was to place it with the successful VPSD. They didn't choose to do this on their own.

This all happened by votes of the BoCC. What the BoCC giveth the BoCC can taketh away. The IFD protects the VPSD from the BoCC taking the ambulances, and the fire service, away.

--- On Oct. 1, 2022 The Village fire stations, funded by Sumter County, started running the new red ambulances.
--- The Villages now has a 5-1/2 minutes response goal for all fire and ambulance calls.
--- The Nov. 8 vote on whether to create an independent Fire District does not change the fire and ambulance service currently offered in the Villages or surrounding areas.
--- Estimates provided by The Villages District show a Yes vote to create an Independent Fire District will increase property tax bills somewhat, but do not reflect the maximum tax rate permitted by the referendum.
--- Although the Fire District amendment caps the amount of tax, if the Villages decides to charge the maximum permitted rate, it appears that property taxes for many homes would increase by $200 to $400 or more.

The maximum amounts are provided in all the IFD announcements that have come out (that chart at the bottom). The tax estimates represent what we are likely to see in order to fund the IFD/VPSD at the same level the BoCC/VCCDD/VPSD is funded at today.

The IFD *could* increase the ad-valorem tax to 1mil. That would be a surprise. For me that would mean about an additional $275. Another thread talked about the 17 properties that benefit from the $10M cap. That cap does not affect the ad-valorem portion - if it is raised for me it is raised for them too.

While a 1mil ad-valorem would add $275 for me, it would add $347,000 for those 17 properties alone and the developer has thousands of other properties that will increase as well! If you want to believe in the "developer will run the IFD board conspiracy" then you have to ask yourself: Will the IFD make a move that will cost the Developer $347,000 on 17 properties PLUS maybe another $600,000 on the rest of his properties?

--- Other cities and counties with property in The Villages decided to not create an independent fire district.

It appears a Yes vote would create a new bureaucracy and increase our taxes, but have no real benefit for us residents!

A Yes vote will actually decrease the bureaucracy between the resident and the VPSD.
A Yes vote *might* increase our taxes but whether that happens has a lot to do with how fair the BoCC is.
A Yes vote will ensure the VPSD has the funding it needs to continue to provide the quick and effective ambulance and fire service we have enjoyed for the last 36 days.