Search-Miller 25% Tax Increase?
 

In the August 2 Daily Sun on page A9 toward the end of the article it mentions that Ulrich reduced the property tax rate 9.1%, the largest rate cut in years. This was contrasted to the "Search-Miller 25% increase".

I thought Search and Miller were elected in response to the increase by the other commissioners. Am I remembering incorrectly? Getting old so wouldn't be the first time.

You are correct.
But in politics.
Deny! Deny! Deny!
The winners always get to write history!

You are remembering correctly. She is trying to get elected and is hoping no one catches her redefinition of things - like you just did.

Read the article again
 

What the article actually stated was Search Miller increased the Budget by 25% (true) while the current commissioners increased the budget by 2 to 3% and decreased the milage rate by 9%.

The developer owns the paper and then tells them what to write. They will always favor the commissioners the developer wants in office.

You need to find information from an independent site

You are correct, the 25% increase was before they were elected. Also, the article fails to mention that despite the so called 9.1% rate cut, most homeowners taxes actually went up because the rate cut was more than offset by increased appraisal values. Realize that what you read about local politics in the Daily Sun is always twisted to support the agenda of the newspaper’s owners.

Anyone who supports the Daily Rag (Sun). Is sure to drink the Kool-Aid and regenerate the propaganda. If you repeat mistruths enough people will believe it.

I would like to see the numbers being used for these calculations.

From the numbers available on the Sumter County Budget page and the recent Budget Workshop:
- If EMS increased the budget by 25% then the current commissioners increased the budget 8% ON TOP OF the previous 25%! No reduction in the "waste" attributed to EMS, just take advantage of it, blame EMS for it, add another 8% to it, and then call it a savings.

- EMS truly decreased property taxes by 1.5% (set the millage rate below the roll-back rate) while the current budget maintains property taxes by setting the millage rate AT the roll-back rate (no increase or decrease)

To be fair, the 22-23 documents come from a July budget meeting and may very well be changed (up or down) in September.

So true Stu from NYC. The Kool-Aid drinkers will tell you it’s FAKE NEWS one step below Alternative Facts.

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Still a great place to live

I see your point. The author switched to spending after mentioning the property tax cut, which coincidentally was the same % increase as the property tax 3 years ago.

Was there not a 25% increase in the real estate tax about 3 years ago by the previous group of commissioners favored by the developer?

Here is the way I remember it. …………

25% tax increase

Miller, Search, Estep elected

Miller, Search demanded 75% increase in impact fees

Developer offered compromise of 40% increase in impact fees

Miller, Search would not accept that as a win and over-reached

End result was ZERO impact fee increase

Miller, Search thrown out of office for violating Sunshine Law and then perjury

Ulrich and other BOCC reduced Sumter County taxes by about 9%

…….and the drama continues as we get ready for another election.

That is true of any newspaper, not just the Daily Sun.

Close but.....

Developer offered compromise of 40% increase in impact fees ... but only on houses built within the Villages. No increase for fast food stores, gas stations, golf courses, banks, hotels, or any of the other 64 types of construction in the fee schedule. Essentially, no increase at all.


Miller, Search thrown out of office for violating Sunshine Law and then perjury... Nope. Accused of violating Sunshine Law and then indicted for perjury based on statements made during the investigation. Suspended and replaced due to indictment alone, still no trial and certainly no conviction.

Ulrich and other BOCC reduced Sumter County taxes by about 9%... Absolutely not! Housing market boomed, prices went up, appraisals went up, and a new millage rate was calculated to have a ZERO CHANGE ON TAXES. BoCC is being given credit (and Ulrich is taking credit) for something caused by inflation, they propose to do absolutely nothing on taxes.

Interesting note: The last time the BoCC adjusted the millage rate to actually lower what you pay was in the 21-22 budget put together by Miller and Search.

You are correct this is the developer paper spinning a story to get their candidate elected. The 9.1% cut comes them not funding the Villages fire dept because they assume the special district will pass and they won’t have to do it anymore. Only 30% of the county gets the tax cut 70% will get a new tax to fund the fire dept.

Yes right. The paper does not give all information needed in subject. They are one sided.

Sorry but the Sun is about as one sided as you can possibly get. Never seen anything like this before

If my memory is correct, the developer sold the Daily Sun about 7-8 years ago. However, to keep control over the contents, he/they only sold the publication and kept ownership of the presses.

Sorry, that doesn't make any sense.

You can't believe what the Daily Sun prints. It's all propaganda for their chosen candidates for Commissioners. They are a joke. Only good section is the Sports. Stopped subscribing years ago. Nothing wrong with your memory on this issue!

Because of the way property taxes work in Florida, i.e. the "Rollback" rate, taxing authorities can claim to reduce taxes while in fact increasing total tax receipts. I am reminded of a book I read once, "How To Lie With statistics".

Thank you for clarifying all this. It seems like such a mess

Remind me, who owns the Washington Post?

After reading these posts, I am even more confused. Millage rates, appraisal rates, 25% increase; 9.1% decrease, etc.

I moved here last year so I don't have any experience with taxes over the past five years. Can someone tell me what has happened to their total taxes over the past five years?

For example what were you paying in 2017? Was it $4000?

What happened in 2018? Did your taxes go up, down, or stay the same?

Same questions for 2019, 2020, and 2021. Thanks.

Memory or updated rumors?

Don’t worry it doesn’t make any difference as to when you are seated at your favorite restaurant.🙋

Great Place
 

I agree. The Villages is a great place to live. Reminds me a bit where I grew up in a coal mining town where the mine owners owned everything including the company store. We had it all (for that day and time) swimming pool, skating ring, bowling alley, theater, shopping, local newspaper, best schools in the county etc. etc. Coal was king and most people were content and happy just about like in The Villages. The mine owners made the big dollars and the hard working miners were occasionally thrown a bone. Isn’t this a great country or what?

I just went online and checked some records. The following are for two houses with taxes rounded off to the nearest $100.

Designer Home (about 2000 sq. feet) built in 2015
2017 $3300
2018 $3200
2019 $4000
2020 $3900
2021 $3900

Patio Villa (about 1200 sq. feet) built in 2013
2017 $2900
2018 $2800
2019 $3200
2020 $3200
2021 $3100

Ranger99 did a nice job researching some samples. Taxes have been relatively stable. Home improvements can result in increases.

In The Villages, no development starts until funding is in place for the infrastructure to support more development.

For new homeowners, this is the Bond on the property that funds everything other than your home inside The Villages.

The County is responsible to fund the "glue" that connects the development in the form of roads, etc. Of course, this needs to happen first.

Bottom line: there was a relatively long period of no tax increase, thanks to real estate development in the Villages adding tax revenue every year as new homes were built.

To support additional developing south of the Turmpike, there was a spike in needs so a there was tax increase for the county to fund construction of roads to support future expansion of the Villages. This is what you see taking place in the Middelton area.

Investing in these roads will enable adding greater than 20 billion dollars of taxable real estate to Sumter county over the next ten years. This will more than pay back the increase and likely enable stable taxes over foreseeable future.

An early indication of this is the millage roll back for next year, due to the huge increase in property values the past year.

There are people who want their cake and eat it to. They have no problem with development keeping their taxes low but don't like an incremental investment to keep taxes lower in the future.


This is an oversimplified macro point of view.

Wow a 25% increase in one year is incremental don’t think so but it is poor management. The commissioners needed to negotiate the impact fee before they signed the road agreement to cover the cost of the roads. If we had been paying 2% increases in our taxes for the 14 years they said they were cutting taxes you wouldn’t need a 25% increase. That is poor planing on their part and only one commissioner was here the entire time

There you have it. The novices who work full time and watch this stuff at a quick glance only get it partially right. Thanks for the clarification!

It was Miller and Search that wanted the 25% increase!

You are so wrong! We live in Paradise created by the Morse family. The Daily Sun is correct. If you are not happy here move.

Slight correction
 

After the Developer offered a 40% increase in impacts fees, the commissioners rejected the offer and PASSED the 70% increase. Then the Developer flexed it’s muscle and our wonderful, compassionate, all knowing, and caring State representative added wording to an upcoming bill that made increasing impact fees almost impossible. It passed. Since state law overrides county law, this invalided the increase and the commissioners had no choice but to repeal the increase.
I do not recall seeing one word about this in the Daily ***.

The Sun only writes about stuff like that if the developer tells them to.

truth - justice and the American Way
 

best way is to see the ACTUAL spending budget 2020 2021 2022 and determine cost per capita ( population ) each year.

lake went up $$20 -30 million - way more than inflation or population growth. sumter - who knows .

Not the ame
 

While budgets and taxes are connected - they are not identical. As population and number of properties increase the need for services increases, but so does the tax base. Budgets can increase without increasing taxes. The Sun article appears to be intentionally conflating the two. Another reason why I don’t get the Sun.

The best way is to review the detailed budget with an understanding of history & future.
Flyover ratios and comparisons are NOT the best way.