[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Their salaries aren't affected by increased homestead exemptions. Their salaries are paid through ad valorem taxes, which aren't subject to those exemptions at all.

Their salaries are not PAID by ad valorem taxes. They are certainly affected.

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by shut the front door

If you're wondering why those Sheriffs are fighting so hard against it, maybe it's this:

Since 2022 their salaries jumped:
Bob Gualtieri (Pinellas): Jumped from $179,887 up to $274,015
Grady Judd (Polk): Jumped from $172,829 up to $269,704
Mike Chitwood (Volusia): Jumped from $169,100 up to $262,828
Billy Woods (Marion): Jumped from $162,777 up to $257,625
Michelle Cook (Clay): Jumped from $152,082 up to $242,461
Four of them now make a 1/4 million dollars or more, plus a free take-home vehicle, full benefits, and a taxpayer-funded pension

These are salaries that are set by the State, not the counties which have no choice in the matter, they just have to come up with the money. It's the same for all the elected Constitutional Officers in every county, Tallahassee set the majority of the spending priorities and then wants to take away even more Home Rule control from the counties and the cities.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Huh?

The increased exemptions apply to the assessed value of the home which is used to calculate the ad valorem tax.

If amendment 3 passes the amount of all non-school ad valorem taxes collected will decrease: county tax, water management tax, police tax, fire tax, all non-school ad valorem taxes.

Well then, I had it backward - which makes Amendment 3 even worse than I thought it did.

City and county police are ad valorem. Water management - flood and drought control in the municipality (county and state roads flooding is bad, and your CDD can't do anything about them). But libraries and community centers are included in this too. Municipal jails - look forward to them being underfunded, and more criminals given bail - assuming there's a cop available to arrest them in the first place. City pavement issues - got a sinkhole on 466? Learn another route. Sucks to be us, there's no funding for a quick repair, maybe it'll get done in a few months.

Of course the municipalities will be REQUIRED to fund all this stuff - but there won't be money to do so. And to protect services like police and infrastructure, towns and cities would either have to make budget cuts or increase other non-exempt charges, such as utility fees, municipal service fees, or non-ad valorem assessments (such as garbage pickup), to make up the difference.

[Old Traveller]

It begs the question, why does DeSantis and Florida want the Amendment to pass? Are we as taxpayers being taken advantage of? Is the City of Wildwood taking advantage of the retirees in the Villages? Inquiring minds want answers.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Old Traveller

It begs the question, why does DeSantis and Florida want the Amendment to pass? Are we as taxpayers being taken advantage of? Is the City of Wildwood taking advantage of the retirees in the Villages? Inquiring minds want answers.

DeSantis is considering a run for President. It's also the mid-term election season nationwide - promising to cut taxes is a common strategy during election season. Yes, we are being taken advantage of, we're being treated as if we were collectively stupid and unable to think critically or look things up beyond what the media tells us. Wildwood is undergoing a long-planned renaissance. The fact that the developers chose to build in the area that is now "Wildwood v2.0 expansion pack" is part of the reason why Wildwood has the funds to complete their plans, but the plans were being worked on prior to the expanded annexation of Villages properties into the city.