[justjim]

I see where Lake County has approved a $500.00 impact fee for every new house built in Lake County. I believe at one time, before the economy crash, that the impact fee was somewhere around $3,000.00 per house. This was when we lived in Lake County and I know the county built several new schools out of impact fees. Why not an impact fee for Sumter County? I know it's like a tax and when you close on a house there are already certain taxes. But what if you could actually see the money going for something for the residents? The county could approve an advisory board to oversee and make recommendations on the use of the money. if the money was spent wisely, it could even help build a State of the art Performing Arts Center for the area. Obviously, most of the money would come from The Villages, and as we have long ago outgrown the Savannah Center, it would greatly advance "the arts" for the entire area. Some of the fees could be used to improve our crowded roads too. The increase of new people moving into The Villages and Sumter County will continue to put a "strain" on the lifestyle of our residents. This is why such fees are approved. If we had such a fee, what and who could benefit? More population certainly has its disadvantages and more people are coming!