What A Sensible Move
 

There is a moratorium on building in Osceola County in order to provide government leaders an opportunity to review the impact and to make changes to the pattern of future building. The county recognizes that its infrastructure is insufficient to maintain its present rate of growth.

Florida voters were given an opportunity to vote on such moratoriums in 2010 but the lobby for realtors and developers kicked into high gear and side tracked the initiative.

Sumter county is governed by Sumter One. Sumter One lives to serve the Developer. Sumter One repeal was on the ballot in 2010. the developer kicked into high gear and derailed the initiative.

When the population growth finally settles it will require massive changes in infrastructure, maintenance etc and with that will come ever increasing taxes.

So enjoy the ride now but as the guy on television said "you can pay me now or you can pay me later."

This is not a complaint its an observational fact

When the population growth finally settles, after all the Boomers have retired at ten thousand a day for the next 13 years, most of us will be in The Village of Heavenly. (MOST of us)

In all due respect, that was a given. Some of us moved away in part because we wanted to get way from big city living, crowds, traffic, etc. It seems however big city living is being foisted upon us and we don't even get to vote on it.

Cést' la vie

And some of us think that what is happening is very good here. Except the gorging of population that occurs all over Florida at this time of the year until the end of March,with people who visit who don't own here or have ties to The Villages.

Disclaimer. I am not speaking of property owners known as snowbirds, snowflakes or Fruitflies. (Those who own in Fruitland park area)

Perhaps we can at least agree that about the year 2007 the adjective "quaint" loss all of its attractive meaning as respects The Villages?

Personal Best Regards:

what a sensible move
 

What is Sumter One?

Sumter One essentially kept all 5 County Commissioner reporting /meeting here in The Villages . The concern- fear- allegation is that all 5 county commissioners would act on behalf of the developer first vis a vis their respective territory within the county.

Indeed the Developer campaigned aggressively in 2010 to have Sumter One vote on repeal failed.

My view at the time was to ensure that each county commissioner have not even the mere appearance of conflict of interest with their duties to the residents residing in their respective county territory . And that everyone was assured that each commissioner was working on behalf of the needs in their respective corners of the county and meeting the needs of the people residing there.

Personal Best Regards:

And this?: One Sumter: let the games begin

Thank you for your quick reply.

Please let it be noted that the above is an opinion piece.

My opinion is that The Villages is run far better as a CDD than it would with input from all of the people who would like to run it who have never been involved in Civic Government. Then we would all be using the word "MESS" a lot.

CDD forever as far as I am concerned. I don't want the inmates running the asylum. We have seen how that works by just looking at other areas the same size run in the "ordinary" way.

It also means that people who do not live in The Villages, but live in Sumter County, have no say in what goes on in Sumter County .

We live in a "bubble" and all we see is what we are allowed to see. So if there is a need outside our bubble, it will not get addressed because.... well.... we live in a bubble and One Sumter.

But some people are content to put their heads in the sand, and who cares about anyone else in the county...


Right????

Agree 100%.

Well before the Morses arrived here Sumter was one of the three poorest counties in Florida with the comparable low employment.

It all depends on what a person WANTS from a county.

Like..changing the animal shelter.

Florida Poverty Rate by County

I provided the link because it contains information explaining what One Sumter is. I don't really care what anyone's opinion is. I was providing an answer to a question.

This is an interesting article on the history of One Sumter, at least until August 2004. ONE SUMTER ONE HOT ISSUE - News - Ocala.com - Ocala, FL

Andrew Blechman, if I recall correctly, also addressed this issue in his book "Leisureville".

Sumter County was indeed not only a financially very poor county prior to The Villages being developed, it was sparsely populated and mostly rural.

I view the current population disbursement as somewhat akin to NYC and the rest of New York State. Would the whole of New York State like to be run solely by candidates dedicated primarily to benefitting NYC?

Of course one could argue NYC is not controlled by a single large real estate development business; perhaps Wall Street, though...anyway, it now is what it is.

I disagree. You make some very general statements.
If you take a look at the adopted Sumter County Budget, there are projects all over the county being addressed. Not just as you say "in the bubble".
Would like to hear from you after you have read all of the budget document.
Budget Resources | Sumter County, FL - Official Website

We may live in a bubble....but that is and has been for all of us a choice.

"...see what we are allowed to see..." ? There is no such environment here or anywhere else in the free world where people only "...see what they are allowed to see...".

It just so happens the majority are content with what they bought into and what it is and has become.

Perfect? No. Better than most? Yes.

The minority will always have something to complain about or profess what is not to their liking. And that is fine. That is what freedom is all about...eh!

I don’t believe that the Florida legislators never envisioned a city the size of the Villages when they created the concept of CDDs to help local developers. I believe we are approaching a size that will require changes in governance and what the city can and can’t do. Not for us to decide as it will require changes made by the State of Florida legislators to CDD rules and regulations.

As an example, current CDD regulations call for local counties to provide disaster service to The Villages. The Villages is not allowed to control this and several other services that are commonly handled by a city government. It's not the growth, it's the structure of government and what is allowed that I believe may need to be changed because of size.

We are unique as no other CDD/CDDS comes close to our current or projected size. A few adjustments have been made such as allowing the towing of cars in some instances. Will our future size demand more changes? I am very interested to hear our Fl State Rep Don Hahnfeldt speak at the VHA general meeting this coming Wednesday, December 13th at Lake Miona Rec Center 7 PM.

I'm just glad the IRS didn't get more of our money from the law suit that got shelved. The next big money grab will be the removal of the evasive non native weeds in the preserve area. Dud how can it be non native? Somebody sneak in and plant the weeds. Otherwise if nature dropped them, they are now native IMO. Then, there the never ending study by that law firm that seems to be on village welfare.? :ohdear:

Not to worry you probably live in one of the CDD safe zones that exempt from district (like the Chatham oaks house farms will be, use all of districts facilities, but contributes nothing to district. I would think anything north of 466a would be CDD due to the recent 1/2 billion sale so to CDDs?

Not an observational fact but "an opinion".

Fortunately those who have not moved here still have the option to buy somewhere else.

In all due respect, what other businesses allow you to vote on their plans?

Which obviously keeps me objective since I have not overly imbibed in the Kool-Aid nor am I pandering on behalf of the developer.

I think not.

ob·jec·tiv·i·ty
ˌäbjekˈtivədē/
the quality of being objective.
"the piece lacked any objectivity"
synonyms: impartiality, absence/lack of bias, absence/lack of prejudice, fairness, fair-mindedness, neutrality, evenhandedness, justice, open-mindedness, disinterest, detachment, dispassion, neutrality

I actually think that if you don't like where you are , you should obviously be somewhere else. I was, I am.

Please note the above is an opinion piece.

As is yours.

and yours...

I think yes! I have no dog in this fight...and remain objective, especially in contrast to those who have a vested interest of one kind or another.

Don Hahnfeldt is a Morse sycophant... look back at his history starting as the VHA president to the Villages Healthcare.

CFrance when this issue came up for possible repeal it was promoted as Sumter One. a no vote meant you wanted a separation of commissioners so that there was not even an appearance of.................. In that my views leaned egalitarian.

the Developer's presence was overwhelming and well placed outside polling stations and across TV.

GG in all due respect the Morses and their sycophants benefited most and like all corporations the cost of doing business was transferred to customers (homeowners).
The IRS bond issue revealed clearly that the Developer made extraordinary profits by selling back to District facilities and amenity fee income based on the Developer's appraisers, accountants, etc. and the Developer made it clear what % of profit would be had from each home unit they built and if my sources are correct it was enormous

In a manner of speaking residents ought to pat themselves on the back for what The Villages is today

But my original post was not about the Developer it was about responsible government. They keep building and yet claim that we need to conserve on water, etc. Yet we have no voice short of TOTV and the other local internet publication to express our concern.

Eventually the highway systems here will need to be expanded and beside cost the inconvenience is going to be enormous. some of us didn't want to live along Highway 19. Once the population stops growing then taxes income will level off but expenses increase and with this means tax increases

People are already living a top one another and yet they continue to build. I can't imagine anyway saying "oh how great" the store, restaurant golf courses is overcrowded.

Osceola at least had the decency to pause and consider how this was affecting county residents.

you speak of what the county wants....checkout the arrangement between the Sumter County School District and the Charter Schools and you will get an answer as to what county wants

Personal Best Regards:

Remember this, none of us here have been forced to live here....choices were made and those choices brought people here. Country bumpkins? Well, some might just find that phrase insulting, implying the person saying it, is an elitist. As individuals, we are no better than another and another is no better than we are. No one here is a tree, they can pick up and move. Whether we like it or not, life moves forward, more want what many of us here enjoy. Communities are going to grow. As they grow, more and more becomes available....shops, restaurants, educational opportunities, entertainment.

I chose to live here, I love it. Moved from southern CA where many of what you imply is missing here, was plentiful. Funny, I don’t feel deprived...lots of the same things available nearby.

My post
 

I just came back to view the conversation.

It seems my post was VERY misunderstood.

Since my comment wasn't important, I am not going to try to explain.

I just find it interesting that everyone read it from their own "perspective". From where their mind was. I probably did the same when I read the first post.

Interesting take on the original post.

And... Maybe, I don't understand One Sumter. It's possible.

Everyone have a GREAT day!

I personally like that a private business can achieve what big government cannot. I personally like that a charter school can offer what most school systems in Florida cannot. I have noted that the builder continues to add rec centers and golf courses as they build. And new businesses are attracted to this area now more than they were before because we are bigger and demographers are finally noticing that we are here. The tax payers will become a bigger bunch too and will share the burden of any repairs and additions. Making a profit is how business works and it also allows business to employ people which to me is a very good thing.

SOMEONE is going to build here. I would prefer it is of the quality and have the regulations we now enjoy and that it continues to be an age restricted area.

Check again the map I posted that shows we have the lowest unemployment of any county in the state. Before the Morses came, Sumter was one of the poorest counties with the lowest employment.

A rising tide lifts all ships.

And for many people, that choice was based on a lie about "buildout".

Things change....always, no matter where you live. The community is set up like littlemtowns, your village isn’t generally congested. Your home, though not surrounded by acres of unspoiled land, is quiet.

There is vacant land...and someone is going to build. Personally I’ve seen what happens to developments built, not maintained. developer has grand ideas, BUT they never quite worked out and suddenly, an eyesore and nothing can be done about it. Where I lived, multiple developers went gun ho building and building....the hodge podge became a living nightmare...inadequate roads, especially for firefighters...CA is prone to horrific fires....lack of necessary schools, and so on. Personally, I’d prefer a known developer with an outstanding history of experience.

Looking for a small, picturesque little community, may no longer be something many will find. More and more are retiring, moving from where they lived to where the climate may be easier for them. They’re going to come and they need a place to live.