Sumter County forging ahead to reduce impact fees?
 

I just read an article in the not to mention online news that says the county is moving ahead to reduce impact fees to be competitive with other counties. WTF, the county that has had one of the highest growth rates in the nation is not competitive? This smells very much like the 25% tax increase, with the same cast of characters leading the way once again to screw the existing residential taxpayers. Not good!

Finally a Villager that can connect the dots.

Now who do you think that is paving the way?

Well, if you had little trouble fleecing the lambs the first time....

Must be that darn developer huh? :)

Casting the chum upon the waters!!

:ohdear: Today's "Daily Sun" page A-9 has the EXACT OPPOSITE STORY. Says Fees were raised. :ohdear: Which is it?

Good question? It appears that comparing the news between the not to mention online news source and the Daily Sun is kind of like comparing MSNBC to Fox News?

It will be very interesting to see what happens when these Sumter Commissioners come up for re-election.

While some of the fees have gone down, most have gone up a few %/$, but not nearly enough to cover the projected costs for the commitments the county has made. Mr. Arnold has opted to only implement 40% of the project cost impact based on the report that was published. I guess the rest is up to the current tax payers to pony up.

While I believe that our county commissioners are honorable men, the "Professionals" assisting them in the decision making processes are failing them and us as residents and tax payers alike. Not planning for the cost impacts that drove the recent 25% increase is huge short fall in execution of responsibilities of the County Commissioners, but more importantly of the county administrator, Mr. Arnold.

Blaming the developer is also a misplaced act, they are in business to make money and anything that holds down their cost is good for them. We all remember this fact, I hope, from the times before we retired. Of course any tax, fee, or assessments on a new home are merely additional costs that are passed along to the customer. Remember, businesses don't pay taxes, they collect them for and pass them on the governmental body levying them. Just another cost for their product, just like labor and material.

Sadly, the commissioners giving Mr. Arnold high marks on his job performance was like lambs sharpening the knife for the butcher that is about to slaughter them, and they don't seem to realize it.

It is a good question! Are you doing anything to verify what you posted now that I have asked it? One source is correct and the other is wrong and I am :confused:

Thanks :ho:

I don’t think Sumter County residential taxpayers are getting “screwed” by a new property tax rate for 2019 that is 67% of what the tax rate was in the Year 2000!, and is only 5.5% higher than the tax rate was in 2012!

To complain about the new tax rate being too high is just silly, especially since the new rate allows the County to promote and participate in tremendous residential and commercial growth that will dramatically increase future tax revenue for both the County and the City of Wildwood. This is Good!

You will find few actual property owners in Sumter county agreeing with this view. Partly because they do not support growth in the first place. There is way too much congestion already.

:faint: YEP! Everyone wanted their home to be the LAST one built! :1rotfl:

As I stated in my post, I was referring to a story I read in the not to mention online news service. Anyone can go online and read the same story, it is public information. Which article is accurate, the one I referenced or the story in the daily sun, I don’t know? I plan to follow the available news regarding this issuee going forward to hopefully get some clarity.

What's the true costs for impact? According to the TV newspaper, it looks like they raised the impact fee by $71. Does that mean that those of us living here are still paying for those who are creating the impact, or does $71 cover the costs. How to find out is the next step.

:ho: I am an actual property owner in Sumter county and can say I definitely agree with the view stated. Growth is inevitable and is what makes this country great!!!

Growth is designed, not inevitable and not necessarily good. And we get to pay for It too.

Without the growth much of what many of us found to be attractive about TV might not be here!!

Congestion....waiting for traffic....so it takes more minutes to get from point A to point B....sit back and enjoy the fact you are on this side of the grass at your/our ages....it sure beats most alternatives.

No. It is inevitable here in Florida and particularly with around ten thousand baby boomers retiring every day for the next 12 or thirteen years it is a sure bet many of them will head to Florida. If The Villages doesn't build, someone else less good at it will. And someone less good at it will manage those areas.

I am satisfied with the devil I know.

Villages traffic is not bad compared to ______________.


New York, Chicago, LA, Dallas, Miami, Naples, Orlando............the list goes on and on. Florida congestion is a way of life.

Reading some of the responses to this thread, I have to wonder why would anyone move too an overtaxed, overcrowded, overpopulated, over developed, traffic gridlocked town/city they are obviously not happy in?
There are some peculiar people out there! :shrug:

Some people do not feel victimized by circumstances?

I agree. In 1983 we purchased a home in Southwest Florida. Population, at that time, was about the same as TV is now, 122,460. Today, the county we lived in has a population of about 740,000. If you think traffic is bad in TV land, then you're going to be in for a rude awakening in the future.

Growth did not pay for itself, as developers were elected to the Commission, and they immediately cut impact fees, which meant, those who were already living there, had to pay higher taxes to support the growth. It used to be that in season, (usually November thru April15th) congestion was very bad and forget eating out, as the restaurants were always booked. Now, more people are living there year round, so season is also year round.

Let me put this into perspective. Imagine traffic being backed up from Buena Vista west to either Lowe's on 466A or west to Publix on 466.

Managed and smartly planned growth, with those who create the impact, paying full price for that impact, aka personal responsibility, might work so that overcrowding doesn't become a detriment.

Another contributor to "congestion", waiting, etc is the age group here tends to do much of their activities around very specific/peak time frames.....such as eating early (4-6)....doctors appointments in the AM....early golf t times....early movies....and so on.

When one observes the pattern of "congestion " outside those peak times, TV and surrounding amenities/accommodations are fairly under utilized.

We flex a little avoiding the peak times and avoid the so called congestion.

I say so called because even during the peak times it is not nearly as bad as the truly congested areas one could choose to live in.

In my humble opinion!

Perhaps it is silly of me to suggest that folks read the report itself to see what was produced on the Impact Fee Study!

Looks to me that the impact fee for the Retirement Community (detached home) rises TO $972 FROM $901

Agree, and also wonder why there isn't a traffic jam as all those who think we are overtaxed, overcrowded, overpopulated, over developed, traffic gridlocked town/city leave. Wait, and those that believe the Developer is responsible for everything and is greedy should be right in there also. :)

Yes because of course everyone who has an opinion that conflicts with the "perfection of paradise" can afford to pack up and move out.

I feel that Florida in general mismanages its tax revenue and the towns and counties containing the Villages is no exception. I totally believe the Villages is overdeveloped. They should have stopped when Morse said they were going to stop.

I don't believe the developer is responsible "for everything" but they are not innocent bystanders in every single situation that might possibly involved them.

Traffic isn't too bad, all things considered, but it gets pretty congested in spots along Morse and Buena Vista, at least in the northern half of TV.

I think there is corruption in facets of all government and corporations, to some extent. It is inevitable, when you give one person or a family of persons and their personal friends, family, and other close associates, ultimate authority over a town, a business, a country. It attracts the best and the worst. If you feel this can't possibly be true, there's a bridge that still doesn't actually go anywhere I'd love to sell you.

That doesn't mean people who have differing opinions should leave. It means they should communicate and stop pretending issues don't exist. They do. And they can be addressed politely and diplomatically. But only if everyone is willing to accept that issues exist. When one rejects the possibility, nothing can be resolved.

Thank you. Very well said. :bigbow:

I agree with you. It's the developers who push for the higher density and lower impact fees. Also, the salaries of County Commissioners are tied to the number of people living in a county.

Those who tell others to move, and who also don't believe growth will ruin a good thing, most likely haven't lived through massive development. Coming from a south Florida county that is overpopulated (740,000 people) I can assure you traffic is not a problem right now in TV land. It will become a problem, if it's not managed well, with more roadways being planned now. Let us not forget, that as TV land grows, so too will the undeveloped lands outside of TV grow. I lived through massive growth, and it's one reason I moved to TV. Let's do it right.

Harold Schwartz started The Villages to make money....he was an entrepreneur whose goal was profit. He started in the 50's selling thousands of acres in New Mexico and Florida by mail order. Mr. Schwartz also operated several radio stations, including two in Mexico. I don't view him as someone that wanted to do good for retirees, he wanted to provide something for retirees to make a profit. He passed that on to his son and on the the grand kids and now on to the great grand kids. He wouldn't have stopped building and neither will his family. He would be proud.

Everyone has their opinion and definition of issues. I assume you believe that issues exist and view, with disdain I also assume, those that don't believe they are significant or that they exist at all. I have lived and worked all over this Country and frankly, all the issues that you perceive conflict with the perception of paradise are insignificant here when balanced against what we enjoy. I sometimes wonder where people came from where there wasn't growth, costs didn't escalate or taxes on all levels increase. If that was an expectation then Mr. Schwartz lied.

The fact, as you state, not everyone has the means to pack up and move is probably correct, but that doesn't mean the business should accommodate that segment and deny others that want to move here and have the ability do it. That requires growth. I'm also surprised that the "I have mine, nobody else should get theirs" even exists. That theory also assumes that if the Morse's didn't expand nobody else would buy that land and develop it and we would be dealing with multiple visions of developers. I agree that levels of corruption (your word but not sure of definition) exist in any profit focused entity. If you want to eliminate that motive that is another discussion.

Florida is a destination for those that want to move from where they live to get away from cold, snow, high costs, relatives plus other more economic reasons. This State is growing at a rate that is being encouraged by everyone that sees either personal or governmental financial gains.

All the perceived issues will only go away when people decide they don't want to move here. That is the ultimate growth control. When people stop buying, growth, congestion, taxes, cost increases, job shortages and all those things that are perceived as issues will also stop.

End of minor rant

What troubles me in particular, is that the current homeowners, especially the very poor outside TV, as well as those who live in TV, are saddled with increased property taxes to encourage the growth they do not benefit from.

Also it sounds like you did not know Mr. Schwartz personally, but my relatives did. He was interested in the well being and happiness of his clients too.

I know several people who still live here, in their 80's, who knew Mr. Schwartz, and they schooled me on yes, he was interested in the well being and happiness because that was the attraction which fulfilled his business plan. It was a win win. There isn't a lot of difference in today's direction, what is different is the number of people here who have issues and that's directly related to the growth. I can't believe the number of people who buy here without doing their due diligence and then complain. People make uninformed decisions and then want to find a way to change things to validate their decision. I know the overused flippant response is "then move" and I also know that there are those that either financially or physically can't, but for those that made a bad decision and can, step up and try to correct it. Mr. Schwartz was an astute business man.

Yes, I agree, Mr Schwartz was an astute businessman. But after building those beautiful buildings at Spanish Springs he stayed in his original home with his original neighbors.

As far as “move if you don’t like it here” - that doesn’t fly. What you do is work towards the change you want to see happen. Historically, America wasn’t built by quitters.

Change ain't going to happen by commenting and complaining on ToTV. Too many posters just complain and blame on ToTV and don't DO anything. These are the ones who should move, now that flies.

From what I have read as above mentioned Harold Schwartz sold land by mail until that became unlawful, sold zipper wallets by mail order, and I have heard kitchen gadgets at state fairs and the like. His out of US FCC control very powerful radio stations across the Mexican (border blasters) got Wolfman Jack started. He was all huckster/salesman. He and Al Tarrson bought a mobile home park in a watermelon patch and sold only a few lots so Harold bought out Al and invited his son, Gary Morse, down and that is when The Villages took off. Harold was personable and no doubt genuinely liked people but he was essentially conducting marketing studies when he chatted up folks in the community to find out what they liked, what they did not like, what they would like to see and so on. The bottom line is things have worked out fabulously for both his family and Villagers through good business planning, years of very hard work and the "free golf for life" and "live like a millionaire" advertising slogans which are what really got customers down to buy. The Villages is incredibly beautiful, well planned and maintained and IMHO, the best active adult 55 and over community in the world!

We moved here in 09 from Long Island. We picked TV because of what was here and available in and around TV. Yep it's grown a lot sense then. The car stays in the garage except to go outside of TV which isn't very often. Everything we need except for a few stores, the Church we attend, 2 Doctors & the Hospital by choice. As for the future it's going to continue to grow for sure. Build it and they will come and as long as people keep coming they will keep building as will more stores. The busy season is upon us so our going out times may need to change a little but we'll survive. This is home for us until the end !

But where do you keep the firetruck???


:icon_wink:

:rolleyes: Give it a minute...... someone who doesn't understand your sense of humor will post with his ideas on that! :mornincoffee:

AMEN to that for sure! What has not changed since The Villages began? The world has changed, our Country has changed, we have changed! Has no one revised their spending/savings habits because of personal and other reasons and desires? Well - so too does business! Do ya remember when a one pound can of coffee used to be 16 oz - how many ounces is it today? Do ya remember going to the movie and watching the Newsreel and a cartoon before the only movie playing? Whaddaya see today - ads and notices to turn off your cell phone! Who here can honestly believe that Harold Schwarts and/or Gary Morse would not have changed the original Villages model in order to stay with the times and continue to make money? After all - why are Developers in business but to develop; and what good business owner is not in business to make money? So many folks whine about the family's greed - but surely give it absolutely no thought about how much is costs to carry the expenses for what they enjoy! Didja never hear the old saying that ya gotts spend money to make money. That's something that has NOT changed!

[Coffee and rant are done - must mean it time to do laundry and clean the house] Have a great day folks - I have other pans! lol

Yes to change. But... who is in charge of it, and how does change happen. Who pays for it and who does it benefit and is that what we want? I don’t advocate learned helplessness.