[LeeM]

We recently visited the Villages for the second time and love it.

My husband however did raise a question. Let's say the build out is completed in a couple years and the builder pulled out to build elsewhere. Or even if he did not pull out.... What keeps the entertainment going in the squares and the other amenities that are part of the Villages lifestyle?

[fb32162]

The monthly amenity fees we pay funds the amenities.

[Hancle704]

I believe our amenity fees do not pay for the town square entertainment. That is paid for by merchants and commercial enterprises.

[TheVillageChicken]

Sumter County coughs up around $60K a year for Brownwood and LSL entertainment. It is siphoned off the tourist taxes they collect for hotel stays.

[cattywampus]

Originally Posted by TheVillageChicken

Sumter County coughs up around $60K a year for Brownwood and LSL entertainment. It is siphoned off the tourist taxes they collect for HOTEL stays.

In Addition , EVERY Home rented with less than a 6 month signed lease
is also REQUIRED to pay the" Tourism Tax".
This in addition to the 6% State Sales Tax on the Rental.

Be Aware You must have a six month or longer SIGNED lease.
Without the Signed Lease you must pay Sales AND Tourism Tax on the "First" 6 month, regardless if the tenant stays longer

The Home rentals pay a huge amount into the
State Sales Tax and County Tourism Tax Coffers.
The Hotels also pay into this fund.

I think the Total of the taxes is
"Eight % in Marion Co".
"Nine % in Sumter Co".
"Eleven % in Lake County".

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by LeeM

We recently visited the Villages for the second time and love it.

My husband however did raise a question. Let's say the build out is completed in a couple years and the builder pulled out to build elsewhere. Or even if he did not pull out.... What keeps the entertainment going in the squares and the other amenities that are part of the Villages lifestyle?

The developer pulled out of the villages north of 466 a long, long time ago and sold all the amenities to the district except for the country clubs and championship golf courses.

For some reason, the developer will not start selling the amenities south of 466 (except for Belvedere and Laurel Manor) until after the IRS inquiry is settled.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by janmcn

The developer pulled out of the villages north of 466 a long, long time ago and sold all the amenities to the district except for the country clubs and championship golf courses.

For some reason, the developer will not start selling the amenities south of 466 (except for Belvedere and Laurel Manor) until after the IRS inquiry is settled.

Those of us in the historic villages still pay our monthly amenity fees and benefit from all that The Villages has to offer. And our properties have no bond attached to them at the time of sale as newer properties do.

[bkcunningham1]

Originally Posted by LeeM

We recently visited the Villages for the second time and love it.

My husband however did raise a question. Let's say the build out is completed in a couple years and the builder pulled out to build elsewhere. Or even if he did not pull out.... What keeps the entertainment going in the squares and the other amenities that are part of the Villages lifestyle?

The next time you visit, you should take the time and attend the Community Development District Orientation. Here's information about the orientation:

You are invited to attend our “Introduction to your Special Purpose Local Government” informational program. You will learn how the districts operate and learn other important community information about the people, services, and other supporting entities that help make The Villages a premier community.

No sign-ups or fees are required for this presentation. Sessions are held every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the District Office, 984 Old Mill Run.

You may call 352-753-4508 for additional information.

VCDD Orientation

Also, you can take it a step further and attend the resident academy:



VCDD Resident Academy

The Villages is made up of Community Development Districts. They are a special form of government, allowed under Florida statute. It is very interesting and, to me, very important to understand your government.


Community Development Districts

General Information

Community Development Districts (CDDs)
A CDD is a governmental unit created to serve the long-term specific needs of its community. Created pursuant to Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes, a CDD's main powers are to plan, finance, construct, operate and maintain community-wide infrastructure and services specifically for the benefit of its residents.

What will the CDD Do?
Through a CDD, the community can offer its residents a broad range of community-related services, recreation, facilities and infrastructure to help ensure the highest quality of life possible.

CDD responsibilities within The Villages may include storm water management, recreation, security, special events, common area maintenance, potable and irrigation water supply, sewer and wastewater management, and street lights.

How CDDs Operate
A CDD is governed by its Board of Supervisors which is elected by the landowners within the district. CDD Supervisors are subject to Florida State ethics and financial disclosure laws.

The CDD's business is conducted in the "Sunshine," which means all meetings and records are open to the public. Public hearings are held on CDD assessments; and, the CDD's budget is subject to annual independent audit.

Benefits to Residents
Residents within a community with a CDD may expect to receive three major classes of benefits. First, the CDD provides landowners consistently high levels of public facilities and services managed and financed through self-imposed fees and assessments. Second, the CDD ensures that these community development facilities and services will be completed concurrently with other parts of the development. Third, CDD landowners and electors choose the Board of Supervisors, which is able to determine the type, quality and expense of CDD facilities and services.

Other savings are realized because a CDD is subject to the same laws and regulations that apply to other government entities. The CDD is able to borrow money to finance its facilities at lower, tax-exempt, interest rates, the same as cities and counties. Many contracts for goods and services, such as annually negotiated maintenance contracts, are subject to publicly advertised competitive bidding.

Residents and property owners in a CDD set the standards of quality, which are then managed by the CDD. The CDD provides perpetual maintenance of the environmental conservation areas. This consistent and quality-controlled method of management helps protect the long term property values in a community.

The Cost of a CDD
The cost to operate a CDD is borne by those who benefit from its services. Property owners within the numbered CDDs within The Villages are subject to a non-ad valorem assessment, which appears on their annual property tax bill from the county tax collector and may consist of two parts-an annual assessment for operations and maintenance, which can fluctuate up and down from year to year based on the budget adopted for that fiscal year-and an annual capital assessment to repay bonds sold by the CDD to finance community infrastructure and facilities, which annual assessments are generally fixed for the term of the bonds. Because costs and services vary depending upon the individual CDD, specific fee information is available for each community.

The Village Center District and Sumter Landing District operate from the contractual amenity fees collected from the residents within the CDD, and from other general revenues.

Lasting Value
The CDD makes it possible for our community to offer the most desirable elements of a master-planned community. Residents enjoy high quality infrastructure, facilities and services with the comfort and assurance of knowing that the standards of the community will be maintained long after the developer is gone. With a CDD in place, residents are assured of the ability to control quality and value for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Community Development District in our community specifically responsible for?
The CDD may provide the following publicly-owned elements:

Recreation, Executive Golf Courses, Public Safety, Community Watch, Gate Houses
Off-site road improvements, streets, sidewalks, street signs and street lighting. This will be transferred to the County for maintenance
Water management. Including main line irrigation, lake and water control structures
Conservation areas
Water and sewer facilities, which will be transferred to the appropriate franchised utility
Landscaping and entry features
Who governs the CDD?
The CDD is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors elected by the property owners. A professional manager implements the policies of the Board.

How are CDD services financed?
The CDD issues Special Assessment Revenue Bonds to finance community infrastructure. Generally, Community Development Districts assess each property owner a yearly capital debt service assessment to pay back those bonds. In the case of the CDD a significant portion of this capital assessment will be prepaid by the developer at the time of closing.

The CDD may also charge fees for certain services it provides.

In addition, to maintain the facilities of the community and administer the CDD, the CDD conducts a public hearing each year at which it adopts an operating and maintenance budget. The funding of this budget is levied as an operating and maintenance assessment on your property by the Board of Supervisors. All residents pay for a share of the maintenance of the CDD improvements through this annual assessment.

What are the ongoing responsibilities of the CDD?
The ongoing responsibilities of the CDD are to administer CDD bonds, operate and maintain the community facilities for the benefit of the property owners.

How Do I Find Out More About Community Development District in the State of Florida?
For more information about please see the following website: The 2009 Florida Statutes Chapter 190
or
Attend a Community Development District Orientation