Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Why not Impact Fees
View Single Post
 
Old 01-23-2013, 10:49 AM
downeaster downeaster is offline
Platinum member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,562
Thanks: 0
Thanked 8 Times in 5 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by justjim View Post
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!
Perhaps it is because Sumter does not feel they need impact fees. They are doing pretty well on taxes. They have also done pretty well on keeping up with road improvement. Most of the crowded roads I see are state roads or Lake County roads. Of course my definition of crowded may defer from others.

I believe there is a group now in place working on developing a performing arts center.