Quote:
Originally Posted by Normal
Most of properties in The Villages do not pay city taxes (can check on the Sumter County Treasurer tax bill research site). We pay about 1,300 per year to the distant town of Wildwood. I’m wondering where our tax money goes that most others near us do not pay? What are the benefits of being incorporated within the tax roles? Is this just a scam to get permissions for the developer to build? Should unincorporated Villages be incorporated into adjacent towns to boost the tax roles and assist the county? An unincorporated surcharge to the county?
|
Most (all?) of the Villages in Sumter County north of 44 are not in any incorporated area and only pay Sumter County tax.
The City of Wildwood incorporated a lot of the area south of 44 so those Villagers pay Wildwood tax. Areas in Lake and Marion counties might have city taxes too (it sounds like Pine Hills does).
There was another thread a year or so ago asking what benefit Villagers received for paying Wildwood taxes. It didn't apply to me so I don't recall if there was ever a good answer.
To me, it feels like Wildwood (and Leesburg) saw the writing on the wall and took steps to incorporate the areas before the Villages built on them. It is not inconceivable that there was an agreement between the Villages and the cities to facilitate the incorporation in return for favorable zoning decisions but I have nothing to back that up.
Should unincorporated Villages be grabbed up by the city of Wildwood to fatten their tax purses? Absolutely not! The Villages are a boon to Wildwood without additional taxation. Wildwood provides little (nothing?) to the Villages yet receives business income from them. If there are Wildwood services that I could receive if I paid additional taxes I don't know what they are and I'm certainly not missing them.
Unincorporated surcharge to the county? That would be called a tax increase; the last substantial increase was added in 2018. There are three ex-commissioners who can attribute their defeat at least partially to that surcharge.