Different Responses to the Sumter County 25% Tax Hike

[Advogado]

The Sumter County website states: “An impact fee is a one time charge applied to new construction. The purpose of the fee is to fund capital projects for roads (such as construction, land acquisition, [sic]). Impact fees can be charges for parks, schools, jails, ambulances and other infrastructure needs that may occur due to new development.”

An impact fee is paid by the builder of a new house when he gets his building permit.

In order to pay for the massive infrastructure impact of the Developer’s massive expansion of The Villages, the Developer’s toadies on the County Commission imposed a 25 percent property-tax increase on Sumter County residents instead of increasing the Developer’s impact fee. The Developer’s impact fee was already set at a sweetheart rate ($901/house for the Developer versus $2,600/for a single-family house outside The Villages in Sumter County and versus $20,000/house in a retirement community in Collier County). It appears by enacting the tax increase in lieu of an increased impact fee, the Commissioners saved the Developer well over $100,000,000 and cost the taxpayers the same amount.

Both the Property Owners’ Association (the “POA”) and the deceptively named Villages Homeowners Advocates (the “VHA”) responded to this outrage, but in starkly different ways. Their different responses show which organization advocates for the residents and which one advocates for the Developer.

The POA Bulletin devoted most of its latest issue to describing the misconduct involved in the recent property tax increase.

In the VHA’s latest bulletin, which is delivered by the Developer’s Daily Sun, the VHA President says, “A significant number of our members have approached me about why The VHA has not made more noise about the planned tax increase in Sumter County. I want you to know that The VHA is very interested in this issue and is in communication with the County Commissioners about it. It is, however, not The VHA’s role to be involved in what is rapidly becoming a political fight….It is not the Developer’s fault….”

That attitude tells you all you need to know about the VHA, but readers should also understand that the Developer promotes VHA officials to political positions. Commissioner Burgess is a former VHA president, and Commissioner Butler is a former VHA director. By the way, both are up for re-election as Commissioner next year. (One would hope that they have the good sense not to seek reelection.)

VHA members may want to think about the above when deciding whether or not to renew their memberships.

Full disclosure: My name is Scott Fenstermaker. I am a member of the POA and sporadically attend their membership meetings. I have never been an officer or director of the POA. I used to also be a member of the VHA, but I let my membership expire some years ago once I realized the relationship of that organization with the Developer. I have collaborated with no one in the POA in writing the above article, and the views expressed therein are solely my own.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Some criticism of your post, Scott.

Hyperbole and strawman arguments overshadow what would otherwise be good points.

Stop referring to them as toadies. Stop calling the situation an outrage. Ditch the comparison to the Collier County developer fee completely. Stop calling it a sweetheart deal.

EVEN IF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE: continued ad nauseam rhetoric using these terms makes you look like someone with a political agenda, and not like someone who actually sincerely gives a hoot about the situation itself.

I actually agree with most of what you write but the way you present it makes me want to dissociate.

[graciegirl]

Some criticism of your post, Scott.

Hyperbole and strawman arguments overshadow what would otherwise be good points.

Stop referring to them as toadies. Stop calling the situation an outrage. Ditch the comparison to the Collier County developer fee completely. Stop calling it a sweetheart deal.

EVEN IF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE: continued ad nauseam rhetoric using these terms makes you look like someone with a political agenda, and not like someone who actually sincerely gives a hoot about the situation itself.

I actually agree with most of what you write but the way you present it makes me want to dissociate.

I don't agree with most of what he writes. But I do agree about it being political and your other points.

[ColdNoMore]

Good post Advogado! :thumbup:

The VHA is less than worthless, in fact it's actually harmful...to protecting the interest of TV's residents. :mad:

[Advogado]

Some criticism of your post, Scott.

Hyperbole and strawman arguments overshadow what would otherwise be good points.

Stop referring to them as toadies. Stop calling the situation an outrage. Ditch the comparison to the Collier County developer fee completely. Stop calling it a sweetheart deal.

EVEN IF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE: continued ad nauseam rhetoric using these terms makes you look like someone with a political agenda, and not like someone who actually sincerely gives a hoot about the situation itself.

I actually agree with most of what you write but the way you present it makes me want to dissociate.

With all due respect, if you think that my language regarding the 25% tax hike is hyperbolic, you do not understand the stench of what has transpired. If anything, my language, including “Developer's toadies”, is restrained. What straw-man arguments have I made?

Did you attend either of the public hearings conducted by the County Commissioners?

As to my agenda, it should be clear from my original post, but in case it is not: MY AGENDA IS TO GET ALL 5 OF THE PRESENT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REPLACED BY CHALLENGERS WHO ARE COMPETENT AND ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE DEVELOPER. That is not a political agenda. It is a call for honest, representative government.

In conclusion, can you find even one factual error in my original post? If so, please let me know, and I will gladly correct it.

[VApeople]

Some criticism of your post, Scott.

Hyperbole and strawman arguments overshadow what would otherwise be good points.

Stop referring to them as toadies. Stop calling the situation an outrage. Ditch the comparison to the Collier County developer fee completely. Stop calling it a sweetheart deal.

EVEN IF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE: continued ad nauseam rhetoric using these terms makes you look like someone with a political agenda, and not like someone who actually sincerely gives a hoot about the situation itself.


Thanks for the warning. Now I will not even read Scott's post.

[Marathon Man]

Rather than offering information as to what can be done for the citizens if/when elected, we get a lot of "that guy is bad and we need to get rid of him".

OK. Let's say things change for this one issue, and the impact fees are raised and taxes lowered. Then what?

[Velvet]

Then we can celebrate that the common peoples’ voice was heard.

[CFrance]

Thanks for the warning. Now I will not even read Scott's post.
I disagree with that and would like to offer another opinion: Continue to read, but take into account everyone's view, not just that of one person. IMO, there are good points in both their views.

[Navy (SSBN 633)]

they should ALL resign for total Incompetence!!!!!!

[CFrance]

they should ALL resign for total Incompetence!!!!!!


That probably will not happen due to all the politics involved. I fear we are in modern-day bubba country.

[dewilson58]

Some criticism of your post, Scott.

Hyperbole and strawman arguments overshadow what would otherwise be good points.

Stop referring to them as toadies. Stop calling the situation an outrage. Ditch the comparison to the Collier County developer fee completely. Stop calling it a sweetheart deal.

EVEN IF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE: continued ad nauseam rhetoric using these terms makes you look like someone with a political agenda, and not like someone who actually sincerely gives a hoot about the situation itself.

I actually agree with most of what you write but the way you present it makes me want to dissociate.




Dude, nicely said!!!!


:bigbow:

[CFrance]

Dude, nicely said!!!!


:bigbow:
For future reference, she's a dudess.

[dewilson58]

With all due respect, if you think that my language regarding the 25% tax hike is hyperbolic, you do not understand the stench of what has transpired. If anything, my language, including “Developer's toadies”, is restrained. What straw-man arguments have I made?

Did you attend either of the public hearings conducted by the County Commissioners?

As to my agenda, it should be clear from my original post, but in case it is not: MY AGENDA IS TO GET ALL 5 OF THE PRESENT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REPLACED BY CHALLENGERS WHO ARE COMPETENT AND ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE DEVELOPER. That is not a political agenda. It is a call for honest, representative government.

In conclusion, can you find even one factual error in my original post? If so, please let me know, and I will gladly correct it.




Appears the $100mil is over stated.


What is the support for this claim??

[dewilson58]

For future reference, she's a dudess.




Thank-you...................but it's generic (in my small mind).






Can I say dude to a girl?
So of course you can say dude to a girl very close to you. Its informal word. ... It's not as common as using it with guys, but yes you can use it with girls. Girls also use it with other girls.

[manaboutown]

At the very least the county commissioners should reveal any current or past business or personal relationships with the developer.

Aren't there any investigative reporters who could examine their histories and present situations?

[manaboutown]

For future reference, she's a dudess.

Or maybe a dudette?

[biker1]

I doubt the Developer was actually saved any money. The costs of the new roads was either going to be paid by the new home owners or the existing Sumter County residents (via increased County Taxes). If it was through increased impact fees, the increased impact fees would have been reflected in the prices of the new homes as the Developer would have passed the costs along to the new home owners.

It appears by enacting the tax increase in lieu of an increased impact fee, the Commissioners saved the Developer well over $100,000,000 and cost the taxpayers the same amount.

[Challenger]

For future reference, she's a dudess.

foreign interference in the affairs of TV?

[Number 10 GI]

That probably will not happen due to all the politics involved. I fear we are in modern-day bubba country.

It isn't just here in "bubba country". This goes on in all states and cities in the US and in foreign countries also.

[Velvet]

I doubt the Developer was actually saved any money. The costs of the new roads was either going to be paid by the new home owners or the existing Sumter County residents (via increased County Taxes). If it was through increased impact fees, the increased impact fees would have been reflected in the prices of the new homes as the Developer would have passed the costs along to the new home owners.

Exactly. The people who benefit should be the one to pay.

[manaboutown]

Exactly. The people who benefit should be the one to pay.

Yes, as these costly extensive 'improvements' are solely necessitated by the developer's wanting to develop huge tracts of raw land. Only the developer benefits.

New development by a single entity is essentially what is driving the 25% tax increase for all in Sumter County. It is certainly not needed to maintain what is in place.

[Advogado]

Appears the $100mil is over stated.


What is the support for this claim??

A fair question.

I was trying to keep the original post relatively short. If anything, the $100,000,000 figure that I cited is understated, but I used it because it is easily verifiable. As reported in several sources, including the October POA Bulletin (see page 2) and in the on-line news website, the road improvements necessitated by the Developer's massive expansion of The Villages will cost $100,000,000. Those roads should be paid for by an increase in the Developer's $901 impact fee, but they are not, thanks to the County Commissioners. Instead, those roads are being paid for with our 25% tax hike.

Note, also that Sumter County only collects impact fees from the Developer for roads. Collier County, where the Commissioners were not handpicked by the Developer, also requires the builder of a house in a retirement community to pay impact fees with respect to the need for expansion of the following infrastructure, in addition to roads: Community Parks, Regional Parks, EMS, Schools, Government Buildings, Libraries, Law Enforcement, Jail, Sewer, and Fire-- all totaling about $20,000. All this data is available on the Collier County website. Why doesn't Sumter County collect impact fees from the Developer for any of these other items? I don't know and could only guess.

Now some simple math with really big numbers: The Developer reportedly is going to build 60,000 new houses. The Developer pays an impact fee that is $1,699 less than the builder of a single-family house outside The Villages in Sumter County. If the County Commissioners had just increased the Developer's impact fee to the non-Villages rate, it would generate the following extra revenue: 60,000 x $1,699 = $101,940,000. Eureka, the new roads are paid for without a property-tax increase.

Alternatively, if the Sumter County Commission calculated impact fees like Collier County does, that would generate the following extra revenue: 60,000 x ($20,000-$901) = $1,145,940,000. Eureka, nobody would have to pay any property-tax at all for the next few years.

[Advogado]

At the very least the county commissioners should reveal any current or past business or personal relationships with the developer.

Aren't there any investigative reporters who could examine their histories and present situations?
I am sure that The Villages Daily Sun will look into it.

[dewilson58]

A fair question.

I was trying to keep the original post relatively short. If anything, the $100,000,000 figure that I cited is understated, but I used it because it is easily verifiable. As reported in several sources, including the October POA Bulletin (see page 2) and in the on-line news website, the road improvements necessitated by the Developer's massive expansion of The Villages will cost $100,000,000. Those roads should be paid for by an increase in the Developer's $901 impact fee, but they are not, thanks to the County Commissioners. Instead, those roads are being paid for with our 25% tax hike.

Note, also that Sumter County only collects impact fees from the Developer for roads. Collier County, where the Commissioners were not handpicked by the Developer, also requires the builder of a house in a retirement community to pay impact fees with respect to the need for expansion of the following infrastructure, in addition to roads: Community Parks, Regional Parks, EMS, Schools, Government Buildings, Libraries, Law Enforcement, Jail, Sewer, and Fire-- all totaling about $20,000. All this data is available on the Collier County website. Why doesn't Sumter County collect impact fees from the Developer for any of these other items? I don't know and could only guess.

Now some simple math with really big numbers: The Developer reportedly is going to build 60,000 new houses. The Developer pays an impact fee that is $1,699 less than the builder of a single-family house outside The Villages in Sumter County. If the County Commissioners had just increased the Developer's impact fee to the non-Villages rate, it would generate the following extra revenue: 60,000 x $1,699 = $101,940,000. Eureka, the new roads are paid for without a property-tax increase.

Alternatively, if the Sumter County Commission calculated impact fees like Collier County does, that would generate the following extra revenue: 60,000 x ($20,000-$901) = $1,145,940,000. Eureka, nobody would have to pay any property-tax at all for the next few years.




There is not $100mil in the county's budget for improvements.



Silly to compare to Collier...............Why would the county collect $1BILLION dollars.

[Advogado]

I doubt the Developer was actually saved any money. The costs of the new roads was either going to be paid by the new home owners or the existing Sumter County residents (via increased County Taxes). If it was through increased impact fees, the increased impact fees would have been reflected in the prices of the new homes as the Developer would have passed the costs along to the new home owners.
I can tell you from from my days as an economics major and my decades of experience as a corporate attorney, sellers cannot simply pass on their additional costs to buyers. Competition prevents it. If sellers could simply pass on their added costs, the present GM strike would have been settled long ago.

But let's assume that the Developer could pass along some or all of the additional impact fee to buyers-- fine. The existing taxpayers would not be paying for the cost of the expansion the way we are now.

[Velvet]

Thank you, Advogado, for bringing all the information to our attention at this forum. When I first heard of the proposed tax increase I thought, “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” but now I know what that “something” is.

[Advogado]

There is not $100mil in the county's budget for improvements.



Silly to compare to Collier...............Why would the county collect $1BILLION dollars.

The budget is an annual budget. All the infrastructure won't be built this year. The $100,000,000 figure is generally accepted. Do you have an alternative one?

I cite Collier for comparison purposes and to point out how low the $901 paid for by the Developer is by comparison.

The amount that should be collected here is obviously the total cost of infrastructure expansion (of all kinds, not just roads) necessitated by the Developer's massive expansion of The Villages divided by the number of houses to be built.

Now, I will ask you a question, Why when they learned of the Developer's plan to massively expand The Villages, didn't the County Commissioners recompute the Developer's impact fee instead of increasing everybody's property taxes?

I will ask you another question, would you identify yourself so readers can determine if you are affiliated with the Developer or Commissioners?

[biker1]

I suspect The Villages, like the companies I worked for, has a gross margin target for their product. Any impact fee is just another cost and will be paid by the customer. You mentioned competition. The Villages essentially has no competition. I doubt a price increase, of say $10K for an increased impact fee, would affect sales as they sell everything they can build, and they have been doing it for some time now. Trying to compare The Villages to GM is not useful. GM has lots of competition.

As I indicated in my post, someone was going to pay for the roads and it turned out to be the existing residents, so, yes, I agree with your last statement. I wonder if bonds could have been floated?

I can tell you from from my days as an economics major and my decades of experience as a corporate attorney, sellers cannot simply pass on their additional costs to buyers. Competition prevents it. If sellers could simply pass on their added costs, the present GM strike would have been settled long ago.

But let's assume that the Developer could pass along some or all of the additional impact fee to buyers-- fine. The existing taxpayers would not be paying for the cost of the expansion the way we are now.

[Advogado]

Thank you, Advogado, for bringing all the information to our attention at this forum. When I first heard of the proposed tax increase I thought, “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” but now I know what that “something” is.
You are right, the stench is overwhelming.

People not outraged by what has transpired are either affiliated with the Developer, affiliated with the County Commission, don't understand what has happened, or don't mind what amounts to their and other Sumter County residents' having their pockets picked to benefit the Developer.

[Advogado]

I suspect The Villages, like the companies I worked for, has a gross margin target for their product. Any impact fee is just another cost and will be paid by the customer. You mentioned competition. The Villages essentially has no competition. I doubt a price increase, of say $10K for an increased impact fee, would affect sales as they sell everything they can build, and they have been doing it for sometime now. Trying to compare The Villages to GM is not useful. GM has lots of competition.

As I indicated in my post, someone was going to pay for the roads and it turned out to be the existing residents, so, yes, I agree with your last statement. I wonder if bonds could have been floated?
If the Developer could further increase his prices without decreasing sales, he would have already done so. He is not running a charity. He does have competition-- throughout the whole state of Florida.

While he clearly cannot simply raise prices to pass on an increased impact fee, I don't care if he could pass all or some of it along. With increased impact fees, that would be his problem, and the existing taxpayers would not be paying for his massive expansion of The Villages.

BTW, if you are going to defend the indefensible tax hike, would you please reveal your true identity.

[biker1]

Yes, I do mind but I don't obsess over it. And I do vote.

You are right, the stench is overwhelming.

People not outraged by what has transpired are either affiliated with the Developer, affiliated with the County Commission, don't understand what has happened, or don't mind what amounts to their and other Sumter County residents' having their pockets picked to benefit the Developer.

[600th Photo Sq]

I am sure that The Villages Daily Sun will look into it.

" Lock Em Up "...... to coin a Familiar Phrase. :shocked:

Never gonna happen politics as Usual... Honor, Pride, Honesty, and Conscience not in their profile.

Once a bottom feeder always a bottom feeder.

Individuals will still give them the familiar friendly greeting to them handshakes, pat on the back, hi how are ya, etc,

Wildwood Fl. somewhere USA and most of all Washington no difference at all. :shocked:

[biker1]

I disagree. I believe he can simply raise prices to cover an increased impact fee. Just be clear, we both have opinions and neither of us know for sure so please don't speak as if you are stating facts.

You really should go back and reread my posts before attempting to put words in my mouth. I am not defending anything. I am simply stating what I believe is reality.


If the Developer could further increase his prices without decreasing sales, he would have already done so. He is not running a charity. He does have competition-- throughout the whole state of Florida.

While he clearly cannot simply raise prices to pass on an increased impact fee, I don't care if he could pass all or some of it along. With increased impact fees, that would be his problem, and the existing taxpayers would not be paying for his massive expansion of The Villages.

BTW, if you are going to defend the indefensible tax hike, would you please reveal your true identity.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Thank-you...................but it's generic (in my small mind).






Can I say dude to a girl?
So of course you can say dude to a girl very close to you. Its informal word. ... It's not as common as using it with guys, but yes you can use it with girls. Girls also use it with other girls.

It's okay - I call most people "dude" without consideration of actual gender. It's a non-specific kind of dude. Except - online I spell it dood. Or if I'm with geek pals, d00d.

It's all good, dood. :)

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

You are right, the stench is overwhelming.

People not outraged by what has transpired are either affiliated with the Developer, affiliated with the County Commission, don't understand what has happened, or don't mind what amounts to their and other Sumter County residents' having their pockets picked to benefit the Developer.

...or, it doesn't have any affect on us *personally* since we don't live in Sumter County, but we are concerned on principal. See this is the kind of rhetoric and hyperbole I'm talking about. You're quick to judge me because I called you out on being over-emotive about what is a very important issue, calling more attention to your reaction than to the issue itself.

My house is in Lake County. I already pay higher taxes than you do over in Sumter, so no - this really has zero effect on me personally. But I also don't approve of the developer having such low impact fees.

I also don't think it makes any sense at all to compare with Collier. It's apples and oranges. Impact fees in Collier cover the costs of every department in the district. Impact fees in Sumter only cover the cost of roads and maintenance thereof.

I feel if Sumter were to increase taxes by 4% this year, 4% next year, and 4% the third year - AND increase the developer's impact fee to $1200 per unit, it would provide for pretty much everything the county needs without pushing away all the residents who are NOT Villagers, who rely on jobs in and near the Villages at minimum wage, and are struggling to pay their rent/mortgage as it is.

A modest tax increase AND a modest impact fee increase.

If you put the entire burden on the developer, then the developer will have to raise his prices. He might not raise them the full amount but you can bet for sure they'll go up. And that will be the beginning of the end of "affordable" in their marketing strategy.

[dewilson58]

The budget is an annual budget. All the infrastructure won't be built this year. The $100,000,000 figure is generally accepted. Do you have an alternative one?

I cite Collier for comparison purposes and to point out how low the $901 paid for by the Developer is by comparison.

The amount that should be collected here is obviously the total cost of infrastructure expansion (of all kinds, not just roads) necessitated by the Developer's massive expansion of The Villages divided by the number of houses to be built.

Now, I will ask you a question, Why when they learned of the Developer's plan to massively expand The Villages, didn't the County Commissioners recompute the Developer's impact fee instead of increasing everybody's property taxes?

I will ask you another question, would you identify yourself so readers can determine if you are affiliated with the Developer or Commissioners?




The thing is................A majority of the 2019/2020 tax increase is not going to infrastructure caused by TV growth.



Why didn't they recompute???...........they have a long-term vision for county growth and future county revenues.


The negative focus (yours included) is "selling" the point: 25% is because of infrastructure costs and if the Developer paid a much larger impact fee, 'our taxes would have been flat.'


It's just spread falsehoods.


Just quit whining and move forward.

[kcrazorbackfan]

Good lord. It’s happened, get over it.

Nothing is going take away the tax increase no matter what side you’re on.

My new taxes are still a fraction of what they were in Illinois and even less than in Kansas City.

Move on to something else.

[tophcfa]

Good lord. It’s happened, get over it.

Nothing is going take away the tax increase no matter what side you’re on.

My new taxes are still a fraction of what they were in Illinois and even less than in Kansas City.

Move on to something else.

You are correct that nothing is going to take away the tax increase, but that doesen't make it right. What can be taken away are the jobs of the county commissioners that voted in the tax increase. That would certainly make the taxpayers that have been wronged at least feel a little bit better about being fleeced.

On another note, I am sick of hearing that taxes are still lower than wher I used to live. One of the reasons that people decided on the Villages is because the taxes are much lower than where they used to live. And the taxes should be lower for several reasons. Here are a few of those reasons. Taxes pay for a single charter school, not for an entire school system. Crime and accociated enforcement costs are much lower in a 55+ Community with relatively little crime compared to a typical urban area. Many northern communities have their trash and recycling costs included in their property taxes, unlike Sumter county. And the biggest cost difference is that Florida has no real winter, which entails huge snow removal costs and road treatments. The cost of keeping roads up north operable during winter is huge, and is only a portion of the cost of winter. Snow and ice, as well as frequent freezing, thawing, and refreezing causes severe and very expensive damage to roads and it occurs every year. I can only roll my eyes when Floridians complain about potholes. A road in Florida that is considered to be in horrible shape would be considered one of the better roads up north. The car we keep in Florida would be worthless at our home up north for about 5 months of the year. We could not get around during the winter and the first half of spring up north without a four wheel drive vehicle with big tires and lots of ground clearance. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the taxes should be much higher up north.

[Mleeja]

A fair question.

I was trying to keep the original post relatively short. If anything, the $100,000,000 figure that I cited is understated, but I used it because it is easily verifiable. As reported in several sources, including the October POA Bulletin (see page 2) and in the on-line news website, the road improvements necessitated by the Developer's massive expansion of The Villages will cost $100,000,000. Those roads should be paid for by an increase in the Developer's $901 impact fee, but they are not, thanks to the County Commissioners. Instead, those roads are being paid for with our 25% tax hike.

Note, also that Sumter County only collects impact fees from the Developer for roads. Collier County, where the Commissioners were not handpicked by the Developer, also requires the builder of a house in a retirement community to pay impact fees with respect to the need for expansion of the following infrastructure, in addition to roads: Community Parks, Regional Parks, EMS, Schools, Government Buildings, Libraries, Law Enforcement, Jail, Sewer, and Fire-- all totaling about $20,000. All this data is available on the Collier County website. Why doesn't Sumter County collect impact fees from the Developer for any of these other items? I don't know and could only guess.

Now some simple math with really big numbers: The Developer reportedly is going to build 60,000 new houses. The Developer pays an impact fee that is $1,699 less than the builder of a single-family house outside The Villages in Sumter County. If the County Commissioners had just increased the Developer's impact fee to the non-Villages rate, it would generate the following extra revenue: 60,000 x $1,699 = $101,940,000. Eureka, the new roads are paid for without a property-tax increase.

Alternatively, if the Sumter County Commission calculated impact fees like Collier County does, that would generate the following extra revenue: 60,000 x ($20,000-$901) = $1,145,940,000. Eureka, nobody would have to pay any property-tax at all for the next few years.

You keep making an apples and oranges comparison. You even acknowledge it in this post. In Collier County the impact fees cover a lot more than Sumter County. Many of the areas that are subject to impact fees in Collier County are paid for by the developer within The Villages. The same principle applies to impact fees for homes permits in Sumter County but outside of The Villages. It is very difficult to get the number of single family home permits have been issued in Collier County, but I am willing to bet it is nowhere close to the permits issued in Sumter County due to the development of The Villages. It is call Economies of Scale!

I will just make a short comment about the POA. It is a political organization. It may have started out as an advocate for the residents, but that is long gone. Their goal is to oppose the development of The Villages and to take over our method of government. This can be seen as board members of the POA are running for seats on the CDDs.

[Advogado]

You keep making an apples and oranges comparison. You even acknowledge it in this post. In Collier County the impact fees cover a lot more than Sumter County. Many of the areas that are subject to impact fees in Collier County are paid for by the developer within The Villages. The same principle applies to impact fees for homes permits in Sumter County but outside of The Villages. It is very difficult to get the number of single family home permits have been issued in Collier County, but I am willing to bet it is nowhere close to the permits issued in Sumter County due to the development of The Villages. It is call Economies of Scale!

I will just make a short comment about the POA. It is a political organization. It may have started out as an advocate for the residents, but that is long gone. Their goal is to oppose the development of The Villages and to take over our method of government. This can be seen as board members of the POA are running for seats on the CDDs.

You miss the point about Collier County. Tell me why Collier County requires developers to pay for all those infrastructure costs in addition to roads, and Sumter County does not. Don't you think it just might have something to do with the Developer's relationship with the Sumter County Commissioners??

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

You miss the point about Collier County. Tell me why Collier County requires developers to pay for all those infrastructure costs in addition to roads, and Sumter County does not. Don't you think it just might have something to do with the Developer's relationship with the Sumter County Commissioners??

Sure that has something to do with it. But Collier County is also the wealthiest per-capita county in Florida. It includes beachfront property, which can command the highest home prices, even for the homes that aren't considered "luxury" homes.

The Villages developers could of course pay $20,000 per home more than they do now, and be equal to Collier County. Just as soon as The Villages gains ownership of Gulf Coast beach property, and eliminates all the mobile homes in the entire county (not just in the Villages). No one will want to buy a luxury home next to a trailer park, or a prison, or on the side of a highway, without easy access to the beach, marinas, yacht clubs, etc.

Collier County can't compare in any way, shape, or form to Sumter County. That is why you need to stop comparing the two. They can't be compared.

[Velvet]

Good lord. It’s happened, get over it.

Nothing is going take away the tax increase no matter what side you’re on.

My new taxes are still a fraction of what they were in Illinois and even less than in Kansas City.

Move on to something else.

If you do that, it will happen again, and again, and again.... maybe a little more next time, since you’re ok with it, this time. It is saying, “You can do whatever you want because we are helpless anyways.” Are we?

[Moderator]

Although this thread started with comparison of the POA and VHA’s responses to the county tax increase, it has degenerated into the same back and forth arguments in the previous thread(s) which are closed. This thread is now closed. Members may review all the points by looking at all the closed threads on this topic.

Moderator