10% Sumter County Sales Tax
 

Just a thought, but I think a 10% sales tax would be close to the same out of pocket for me as a 25% property tax increase. What say you?

Be careful what you wish for , you may get it !
In this case a massive disproportionate impact on lower income families.:MOJE_whot:

with the amount of New income from home sales...I dont believe 25% tax is warranted..and certainly NOT an increase in sales tax....UGH!!!

Oh my God. 7% is already too much.

it may move people to shop in other counties....

That is so true. I once lived in a town that bordered two counties. One had a higher sales tax along with added gasoline, liquor etc. taxes. It was a no brainer. The only thing was that if you bought a new car in the lower county you had to pay the higher county tax that you lived in.

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That's a good way to send customers to another county. Every business in Sumter would balk at that idea.

Sorry if I was not clear. I’m no way suggesting a raise in sales tax. Was merely pointing out the financial impact on me. ie: 25% property tax = 3% sales tax increase. I agree a 10% sales tax would be idiotic.

Most people here most likely save more money when the price of gasoline dropped from $4.00 to under $2.50 than any proposed property tax--Imagine you save $30.00 every 20 gals. I put 20k a year on my car @ 20 mpg I saved $1500.00/yr -really doubt my property tax would be that greatly raised

But what if gas goes back up?

Gas may or may not go back up, but pretty sure the 25% property tax increase wouldn't go down.

There isn't a 25% tax increase.

Let's wait and see what happens. For fourteen years there has been little change. I think that the new bills for trash and some road fixing might be factors, but let's wait and see.

I was responding to the person who said gas could go up. It could or it couldn't, but it's seems certain the property tax will go up, and probably for good.


One could wait and see, or one could join the crowds who are going to the public meetings to fight this.

Wait and see is something people do when they've given up on trying to participate. "Let's wait and see if that tornado comes through our kitchen" instead of "get down into the storm cellar now, kids."

:agree:

You could march. Lot of that going on.

I don't think that the tax increase will be anywhere close to 25%.

For one thing, that would not be good for home sales.

Or you could go to the public meetings and add to the numbers of people showing up to voice their concerns. They seem to be listening.


I don't get the passiveness, or snide comments about people wanting to effect change.

Back in 92, we had the tax revolt in NJ, fired the Governor(Florio) and most of the incumbents --the taxes went down- I was Morris County coordinator for"Hands Across NJ" it worked--we made a change---too bad it didn't last

Why have any tax increase? But if you must, a 10% sales tax would be best.

Before the country raises taxes I for one would like to see a complete, detailed list of receipts and expenditures, in plain English. First question is Why have the commissioners included a, what was it, 12% raise for themselves? Why isn't the developer paying for the Buena Vista road extension himself, it's for HIS benefit more than anyone else's? With all the NEW homes being built, a much larger tax base, why do taxes need to be raised by such an outlandishly large percentage?

Start with those.......

Both taxes are not needed. A terrible idea.

Using percentages alone to judge merit is like a blind man touching an elephants tusk and concluding the elephant is made of ivory.

The proposed investment in first responder services and infrastructure amounts to less than $1 a day for a $300K valuation.

A hike in sales tax would not be the same. Property tax is carved in stone whereas sales tax income fluctuates.

NO to an increase in sales tax. And I doubt if they can convince ANYONE that an increase in property tax by 25% is credible or warranted. With the increase in building and influx of migration of retirees, I do not see how they can justify an increase that large. Show me the stats that warrants such an increase. Convince me.

Sales tax is paid by all... Property tax is only paid by home owners.

Taxes - main meal
 

We moved to TV for several reasons and but the reason we chose Sumter County was due to the taxes being lower than the other two. What is being done to reduce costs at the county level? What will be the added benefits of higher taxes? I’m not an advocate of increased taxes as I have a limited budget and I personally will have to reduce my expenses. Why not government?

Tax Hike
 

Raising taxes might be a needed thing to do, however, we shouldn't be hit all at once..........it is outrageous to have a 25% tax hike in one year. The County Officials should have had a better plan all these years and projected the need for more money to take care of the needs of the county. Even though people live in The Villages doesn't mean EVERYONE is rich. It is just as much a burden on some of us and anyone not living in The Villages. Where are the mind's of the Officials. Do they live in Sumter so their taxes will be raised also????

Same goes for a sales tax rate all at once, CRAZY!!!

The cost of everything is going up but it happens a little at a time. Use your heads County People.

The property tax in Sumter County is going up. But I really doubt it will be as large as 25%.

You are aware that Sumter County’s tax rate is lower than it was 5 years ago, right?

I think it's outrageous to increase the costs to Sumter County residents who don't live in The Villages. The county needs more money because of The Villages, and The Villages is who will benefit from it. Making long time residents, of Sumter, who won't benefit, will create even more of a hardship for them. These people lived in a peaceful, beautiful pastoral place. Now they have trucks all day, traffic, noise. People who live in The Villages think it's a wonderful place, people who don't see their homeland being destroyed and now they will have to pay for it?

Does anyone know if the proposed property tax increase (whatever percentage it will be) is the Ad Valorem taxes, the Non-Ad Valorem taxes, or both?

I am moving there September 1st, one of the reasons is because of manageable property taxes.

Probably get both.

For both of the tax items (10% sales / 25% property tax increase), the response seems clear. We must take citizen self-action. The sooner the better. There will be no other help.
We are a retirement state and our senior citizens are especially vulnerable to tax increases. Many are on fixed incomes or even worse have finite financial resources and can’t cope with double digit percentage cost increases. We can stop this process now to protect our future tax costs.
The state of Florida allows for referendum (Google: “Florida Referendum” for information on Florida State Referendum). We must take citizen action to make laws to protect ourselves as was done in California in 1978 with Proposition 13 (the People's Initiative to Limit Property Taxation). The 1978 Proposition 13 (Google: "1978 California Propostion-13" for information about Limit Property Taxation Referendum) is referred to as a “taxpayer revolt”. It was brought about by hefty tax increases.
We must protect ourselves, as was done in California, by using the Florida process for referendum to make legislation that protects the taxpayers from exorbitant tax increases as was done with the 1978 Proposition 13. We must modify Proposition 13 to suit our needs to protect taxpayers from current and future tax increases and pass the modified Proposition by Florida state Referendum.
The pressure is on. As more and more people relocate to Florida, state and local government will want to jump to the easy solution: raise taxes. A taxpayer referendum will stop this process. No more maneuvers like: raising the tax rate one year followed by raising the assessment the next year and then repeating the cycle to move tax increase passed the taxpayers. A modified form of Proposition 13 passed by Referendum in Florida will not allow a taxpayer’s bottom line taxes to be increased by a fixed amount as specified by the new Referendum.

The 10% was just a thought by the OP, nothing official has been proposed.
And the 25% proposal is up for discussion at public meetings.
Hold the pitchforks.

The 25% everyone is talking about is an increase in the property tax rate not an increase in property taxes. The new rate if approved will add about $100.00 to your annual property tax bill.

Or get both......😳

I say no to a 10% sales tax
 

Those who live in Lake County already pay higher property taxes than Sumter and Marion Counties. Most of the businesses in The Villages are in Sumter and Marion Counties; therefore, those who live in Lake County will get a double whammy if the sales tax is raised to 10% instead of increased property taxes for Sumter County alone. Lake County residents will be paying their already higher property taxes as well as supplementing those who live in Sumter County. Raising the sales tax is not a good idea in my opinion especially for those on fixed incomes.

There does not seem to be any evidence that a sales tax hike is being considered. The OP drew a comparison between the proposed property tax increase in Sumter county and a 10% sales tax, reasoning that the sales tax hike would have the approximate same effect as the property tax hike. So, please stop getting excited about something that does not exist.

It is amazing how one post morphs into another and then down the line. Then there's the occasional "I don't want to hijack tbis thread but..." and then the original thought is like tears in the rain ( thanks Blade Runner).

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