Sumter County's Proposed Review of Impact Fees and Non-Ad Valorem Assessments
 

Does anyone know about the proposal for the Sumter County Commissioners to spend $46,495 of taxpayer money to hire a consultant to review the county’s impact fee program as well as the non-ad valorem assessment program? This is an agenda item on the Tuesday (5/11) Board of County Commissioners Meeting (public meeting).

It looks like the proposed study will consider fees for parks and recreation; fire rescue; medical first response and transport; law enforcement; correctional facilities; libraries; public buildings; public safety radio systems; and storm water. I hope this doesn’t mean another tax increase is on the horizon. See pages 9 – 12 at the following link for details:
https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/Agend...8?fileID=43089

Hopefully someone who is familiar will have a comment.
I would be surprised if the newly-elected commissioners would approve an increase in payment for services. They ran on a “roll back the 25% tax increase.” I can’t believe they would want to try to play a “shell game” with taxpayers.

Impact fees are paid by businesses that build. Of course the business customers ultimately pay these fees. It is just another move by these commissioners to increase fees (taxes) on businesses and make the area less business friendly.

I don't know what this is about. However, speculating:

- There is a poster on here who has been calling for a review of the Sumter County impact fees. Perhaps the Commissioners heard him.

- A review of the impact fees might be a first step required under the recently-passed bill to make the increase in road impact fees stick.

- If the study will involve more than just impact fees for roads then perhaps it is a way to recover some of the impact of new construction while staying within the bounds of the recently-passed bill

That's a rather simplistic answer. Do you really suppose the Commissioners went into office thinking that above all what they needed to do was to make the area less business friendly?

Yes, they went in to “stick it to the developer”.

I understand that is the way some want to see it, including some that support the Commissioners. I don't agree with that interpretation. The topic is more complex than that and quick and easy jabs such as "stick it to the developer" do nothing to help understanding.

I honestly wish that wasn’t true. Because I believe we will have a much better “infrastructure/county” if the commissioners would find a way to work with the developer. But some commissioners have stated that they want The Developer to pick up costs for a number of things. One was square entertainment. A portion of that cost is/was paid for by a hotel tax. One commissioner wanted the developer to pay for square entertainment... until there was such a backlash he changed his tune. But it doesn’t change the fact that his attitude was “have The Developer pay for it.”

IMO taxes rarely it ever go down. Studies are done to reinforce budget proposal’s which usually mean “ mo money”

Yes, I believe from their actions thus far they are less business friendly and would like to slow or stop growth. And there are many residents in the Villages who think the Villages is too big now. So these commissioners are feeding that “make the developer and other businesses pay”. This is just an extension of the road impact fee increase to other impact fees on any business that expands. It is amazing that these alleged Republicans are spending all their time on determining how to increase taxes. And yet they haven’t explained how they plan to “roll back” the 25% increase on property taxes.

You read too much Daily Sun impact fees are not taxes. It is a 1 time fee to cover the cost of new roads, fire stations and schools. If the new business does not pay it the tax payers will have to, thus the 25% increase in our taxes. The state just passed a law limiting local government from raising impact fees. This bill was started by a representive employed by the developer at $140,000 a year. Doesn’t seem like the way government is supposed to work to me.

If you ever watched the comedy show Yes prime Minister from England you would know that having a study is one way politicians cover their backsides. That being said actually getting a study done means that the politicians in charge are not experts in the taxes being proposed and the way they are raised as well as competition from other counties. I would applaud anyone who admits they aren't the smartest light bulb in the box. This is actually a good thing even though it's a lot of money I would think it's a lot of work getting all the statistics together to compare other counties and how they raise money. Remember these politicians basically said they were going to cut back the property tax rate and raise the infrastructure taxes to where they should be. At the same time it's only fair to figure out whether or not the citizens are getting their just desserts and are paying a fair share of total tax burden. There are many parts of government that have no way to raise revenue, like building departments do, or having the gas tax for the counting to help pay for road maintenance, certainly the hospitals, fire departments, building inspections, have a specific costs and they have to have revenue every year to cover themselves. I remember quite distinctly 10 years ago when we had a recession certain cities like Leesburg cut back their building inspection teams and permit from 50 people to 10 people. Sumter county literally raised 50 million last year in new taxes which I'm sure they figured how to spend right away. Nobody likes to see taxes rise unless it's truly necessary and as certain parties always say it's fair. I'll leave you to the side which party says Fair more often

That is where you are wrong. The 25% increase in the real estate rate was necessitated by the Developer refusing to pay for the new roads down South of 44 and the then Commissioners voting to raise taxes on all the residents in Sumter County in order to benefit the Developer. The current Commissioners voted to raise the Impact Fees in order to force the Developer to pay for this development and thus be able to roll back this huge increase.

I am waiting for my refund………..

Very disappointed in these guys. Glad to have removed the puppets but I feel we have replaced them with fools. Looking to the next election.