25.2% tax Increase/Board of Sumter County Commissioners

[Fast Freddy]

How about a Re-Call Petition for County Administrator Mr. B. Arnold? Collecting those signatures while standing in line to enter Savannah Center on Sept. 10th.

While reading the distributed POA Bulletin, a few items jumped out:
Contrary to what we have previously read, the State does Not mandate Commissioners salaries. In fact, the Commissioners can Lower them. Right now they are requesting a 9.3% increase in compensation for the wonderful job they are doing!

Get this...County contributions to the School District beyond 1% increase is Optional !!

And then why can't our gasoline tax be used for new road improvements? I think Mr. Arnold states those funds will relieve the gas tax revenue to other road networks. Why not ours?

Mr. Arnold suggests we all read the 300 page document instead of a simplified version been enclosed in our preview property tax bill. No explanations were enclosed. Is The Sun newspaper giving us details? And what justifies our house appraisal increase 2 years in a row?

Even though the Board of Commissioners at their Sept. 10 meeting is scheduled to take a vote on a resolution to pass the 25% Increase BEFORE any Public hearings (Unheard of at a public meeting), come out and show your interest. If you don't, then you have done Nothing to potentially Stop this gigantic % Increase.

[Villageswimmer]

This Tuesday, Savannah, what time please?

[Fast Freddy]

Commissioners meeting begins at 6pm, suggested to be early.
Please read the latest copy of the free POA (Property Owners Association) Bulletin delivered to homes and in various restaurants.

[Navy (SSBN 633)]

Recall and or Vote the 3 OUT for re election next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JoMar]

Hope you all have a fun time at the meeting :)

[Fast Freddy]

The POA Bulletin is not delivered to restaurants, however, grocery stores and Walgreens. Call first.
Also, those outside The Villages, or did not get a copy, go to their link: poa4you@gmail.com
On the left side click the first line and read the current copy.

[Villageswimmer]

The POA Bulletin is not delivered to restaurants, however, grocery stores and Walgreens. Call first.
Also, those outside The Villages, or did not get a copy, go to their link: poa4you@gmail.com
On the left side click the first line and read the current copy.


That’s not a link. It’s an email address. Do you have a link?

[Navy (SSBN 633)]

Property Owners' Association of The Villages, Inc. (https://www.poa4us.org/)

[Villageswimmer]

Property Owners' Association of The Villages, Inc. (https://www.poa4us.org/)

Thanks!

[iaudit]

This whole thing started many years ago when Sumter County went to at large elections rather than district type representation. It was called “One Sumter” and was pushed by the developer at that time. Now he has a majority of the commissioners that he endorses who are making decisions that benefit him and not the people they represent. Here is an article that details “One Sumter”. The tax increase is a done deal and even if you vote them out, don’t be surprised if they don’t end up on his payroll afterwards.

By the way, has anyone noticed that the Villages Homeowners Association (VHA) has been awful quiet on this. Whose side do you think they are on, not the homeowners, but the developers. So much for being a “homeowners” advocate.

ONE SUMTER ONE HOT ISSUE - News - Ocala.com - Ocala, FL (https://www.ocala.com/news/20040819/one-sumter-one-hot-issue)

[gatorbill1]

Recall and or Vote the 3 OUT for re election next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yes yes yes

[Madelaine Amee]

This whole thing started many years ago when Sumter County went to at large elections rather than district type representation. It was called “One Sumter” and was pushed by the developer at that time. Now he has a majority of the commissioners that he endorses who are making decisions that benefit him and not the people they represent. Here is an article that details “One Sumter”. The tax increase is a done deal and even if you vote them out, don’t be surprised if they don’t end up on his payroll afterwards.

By the way, has anyone noticed that the Villages Homeowners Association (VHA) has been awful quiet on this. Whose side do you think they are on, not the homeowners, but the developers. So much for being a “homeowners” advocate.

ONE SUMTER ONE HOT ISSUE - News - Ocala.com - Ocala, FL (https://www.ocala.com/news/20040819/one-sumter-one-hot-issue)

Page 2 of POA, column 3: County Tourist Development Council donation $50,000 to VHA Hoedown!

[Villageswimmer]

Page 2 of POA, column 3: County Tourist Development Council donation $50,000 to VHA Hoedown!


Hmmmm...

[Mleeja]

I hope the POA sues Sumter County to stop the increase. That will show em....

[JoMar]

I hope the POA sues Sumter County to stop the increase. That will show em....

Hope not!

[billethkid]

The Happy Paper tries to take a shot at educating why the raise is being proposed.

I still say a line by line budget analysis showing proposed budgeted increase vs 2018 actual. The only way to get a real view of where the money went (2018) and where they would like it to go (current proposal).

Without the comparison there remains only arm waving by those who want it passed.

Past experience also confirms most will not ask for it.....takes a lot of work....complicated by those who do not want such info prepared or presented.

[dewilson58]

The Happy Paper tries to take a shot at educating why the raise is being proposed.

I still say a line by line budget analysis showing proposed budgeted increase vs 2018 actual. The only way to get a real view of where the money went (2018) and where they would like it to go (current proposal).

Without the comparison there remains only arm waving by those who want it passed.

Past experience also confirms most will not ask for it.....takes a lot of work....complicated by those who do not want such info prepared or presented.




That's exactly what I did......line-by-by.
I think it was 400 pages.


I'm still not happy with a +20%, but I understand.

[Love2Swim]

This whole thing started many years ago when Sumter County went to at large elections rather than district type representation. It was called “One Sumter” and was pushed by the developer at that time. Now he has a majority of the commissioners that he endorses who are making decisions that benefit him and not the people they represent. Here is an article that details “One Sumter”. The tax increase is a done deal and even if you vote them out, don’t be surprised if they don’t end up on his payroll afterwards.

By the way, has anyone noticed that the Villages Homeowners Association (VHA) has been awful quiet on this. Whose side do you think they are on, not the homeowners, but the developers. So much for being a “homeowners” advocate.

ONE SUMTER ONE HOT ISSUE - News - Ocala.com - Ocala, FL (https://www.ocala.com/news/20040819/one-sumter-one-hot-issue)

:bigbow:

[Love2Swim]

yes yes yes

They are just yes men for The Developer, and they won't get my vote next time around.

[murlock]

The commissioners listened but did not hear what the current Villagers said at last night’s hearing! If you were not there shame on you!!!
The Morris Family have forgotten what their father and grandfather promised us and stood by their word until their deaths!!
Some way they talked the Sumter Commissioners into getting us to pay for the roads etc south of 44 not the future residents! We are very angry and feel it is unfair for those of us to foot the bill for development we don’t want and we’re told it would not happen!!!!
Morris family do you think it is going to help sell the new area when the word gets out that the developers lied to residents and are trying to make even more money per unit than before and charging these costs off on fixed income residents! It might be wise to rethink this 25% property tax increase!!
The residents are not going to simply roll over and write these checks without looking into legal recourses! Remember many of our residents are lawyers engineers city planners etc themselves!
How many billions of dollars do you need? What about the retired people your father and grandfather worked so hard to provide a fantastic community for? Is this the fairest way to continue developing your land?? Do you care about all the thousands and thousands of people who have loved living their final days in utopia and bought into this dream which you are now asking them to come up with the moneys to finance what your father and grandfather managed in a very very different and fairer manner . Think hard about this because it could be to the detriment of The Villages of the future!

[Bowtorc]

I've been told that Lake county taxes are going down. Anyone else heard this?

[champion6]

I've been told that Lake county taxes are going down. Anyone else heard this?Yes, it was in today's Daily Sun, page A12. The Villages Daily Sun ... an excellent source of local news.

[Martian]

Isn't this the first tax increase for them in 15 years?

[dewilson58]

Isn't this the first tax increase for them in 15 years?




Yepper

[eyc234]

That's exactly what I did......line-by-by.
I think it was 400 pages.


I'm still not happy with a +20%, but I understand.


:pray: Oh de you did it again, you went and got facts, you bad boy. Did the same and it is a lot to read, to most it would be boring but the old accountant in me got a perverse pleasure from doing the audit. We would agree, not happy with the 12% increase ours came out but we do see the reasons for the increase.

We question whether people would have been happier if taxes went up over the last years that it went down. Do people think they would be better off? There is an old saying PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER. Also there are two guarantees in life, Death & Taxes. Always like your post, keep it up you bad boy!

[dewilson58]

:pray: Oh de you did it again, you went and got facts, you bad boy. Did the same and it is a lot to read, to most it would be boring but the old accountant in me got a perverse pleasure from doing the audit. We would agree, not happy with the 12% increase ours came out but we do see the reasons for the increase.

We question whether people would have been happier if taxes went up over the last years that it went down. Do people think they would be better off? There is an old saying PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER. Also there are two guarantees in life, Death & Taxes. Always like your post, keep it up you bad boy!






:clap2:

[Brad-tv]

Ok
So our taxes went up? 12%?

[graciegirl]

That's what I said would happen. Not nearly as much as rumored.

[biker1]

Not exactly. The county tax is going up about 25% but the school tax is essentially unchanged. The county tax is about the same as the school tax. Therefore, the total tax increase (county + school) is about 13%. This is the number mentioned in post #25 and #27.

That's what I said would happen. Not nearly as much as rumored.

[rustyp]

That's what I said would happen. Not nearly as much as rumored.

The county tax is going up 25%. That's where the whole episode started and now has apparently ended. No one said anything about total taxes. The conversation has been limited to county taxes from day 1.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

The county tax is going up 25%. That's where the whole episode started and now has apparently ended. No one said anything about total taxes. The conversation has been limited to county taxes from day 1.

We don't have county taxes where I'm from, we have state and town/city/village (aka "municipality") taxes. Each municipal department - education, police, public works, the Town Hall offices, etc - each have their own budgets. But the property tax you pay includes the budgets for all of those departments. It's one tax. Much easier on the brain, when you consider it all one singular property tax. Unless you're saying you have to send two checks, one for education and one for everything else?

[Mleeja]

The commissioners listened but did not hear what the current Villagers said at last night’s hearing! If you were not there shame on you!!!
The Morris Family have forgotten what their father and grandfather promised us and stood by their word until their deaths!!
Some way they talked the Sumter Commissioners into getting us to pay for the roads etc south of 44 not the future residents! We are very angry and feel it is unfair for those of us to foot the bill for development we don’t want and we’re told it would not happen!!!!
Morris family do you think it is going to help sell the new area when the word gets out that the developers lied to residents and are trying to make even more money per unit than before and charging these costs off on fixed income residents! It might be wise to rethink this 25% property tax increase!!
The residents are not going to simply roll over and write these checks without looking into legal recourses! Remember many of our residents are lawyers engineers city planners etc themselves!
How many billions of dollars do you need? What about the retired people your father and grandfather worked so hard to provide a fantastic community for? Is this the fairest way to continue developing your land?? Do you care about all the thousands and thousands of people who have loved living their final days in utopia and bought into this dream which you are now asking them to come up with the moneys to finance what your father and grandfather managed in a very very different and fairer manner . Think hard about this because it could be to the detriment of The Villages of the future!

Your argument would go much better if you at least get the name right. It is MORSE.

[Bavarian]

Time to reassess the homes so that the ones bought dirt cheap will pay comparably to new ones.

[normandy]

Time to start looking for new address to live at????

[CFrance]

That's what I said would happen. Not nearly as much as rumored.
That's a huge hike.