[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

The silly promise was, reversing the 25% increase in RE Taxes by increasing the Impact Fee................that was never going to happen.

Voters didn't care about a minor increase in the Impact Fee...........they wanted the 25% reversed.

True. The 25% increase (it was actually more) was never going to be reversed by raising impact fees - the numbers just didn't match up.

Interesting that what was probably the real cause of the increase, paying for the new roads for the southern area, has been covered already yet the increase remains in place. Once a tax is in place it is nearly impossible to remove.

It will be interesting to see what happens if the IFD passes. With the VPSD and SCFD removed from the general fund (about 30% of the total ad-valorem income), property taxes should be lowered to about 70% of the 2023 rollback rate. I am skeptical.

[nsantelli]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Thanks for the background and explainations.

This is more than just the money. Having a neighbor recently die of a heart attack waiting over 20 min for ambulance illustrates the need for improvement of our services..

The Ambulance service has already been improved. As of October 1, the Blue ambulances run by contractors are gone. Service now provided by VFD. A neighbor fell off a ladder last week. A brand new, fire engine red ambulance, manned by experienced VFD medical personnel arrived in less than 5 minutes. A fire engine with additional medical personnel arrived 1 minute later. Before Oct 1, a fire engine would always arrive before the ambulance. Why - because fire engines are stationed at each fire house and were closer. Now ambulances are also located at the fire stations.

Please reread the above post. The new and improved ambulance service, which has been up and running for over two weeks is NOT dependent upon the IFD.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

It will be interesting to see what happens if the IFD passes. With the VPSD and SCFD removed from the general fund (about 30% of the total ad-valorem income), property taxes should be lowered to about 70% of the 2023 rollback rate. I am skeptical.

That's where involvement in the Budget Process by concerned people is critical.

The expenses will be removed, but what new expenses will be added by departments during the budget process. In the perfect world...........if other expenses are controlled, we will taste the rollback.

[Bridget Staunton]

Thank you for your in-depth analysis & the time it took. God bless you, much appreciated

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by nsantelli

The Ambulance service has already been improved. As of October 1, the Blue ambulances run by contractors are gone. Service now provided by VFD. A neighbor fell off a ladder last week. A brand new, fire engine red ambulance, manned by experienced VFD medical personnel arrived in less than 5 minutes. A fire engine with additional medical personnel arrived 1 minute later. Before Oct 1, a fire engine would always arrive before the ambulance. Why - because fire engines are stationed at each fire house and were closer. Now ambulances are also located at the fire stations.

Please reread the above post. The new and improved ambulance service, which has been up and running for over two weeks is NOT dependent upon the IFD.

It's also not protected by an IFD. If the IFD is not approved and the county budget become tight because of inflation or a recession that is now predicted to happen, then the VPSD budget could be cut, or worse yet VPSD dissolved into the SCFD (not on my watch!), and then we could be going back to the poor service we had experienced for years. If nothing else, the IFD will protect the ambulance service from tampering by those who may not have the best interest of The Villages residents in mind.

[Altavia]

"The IFD will protect the ambulance service from tampering by those who may not have the best interest of The Villages residents in mind."

Exactly.

[Babubhat]

Mail in ballots should have already been sent in. No reason to wait and keep debating. Not trusting anyone who can’t give an accurate cost.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by oldtimes

“Please forward to fellow villagers . . . . . .“ sounds like more than a request

No, "please do something" is a request...

[oldtimes]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

No, "please do something" is a request...

No it is an agenda. I still think this person has something to gain besides worrying about their taxes.

[golfing eagles]

Most of this thread covers the funding for a separate IFD, so why not make it easy:

Take the number of parcels in the newly created IFD, divide it into the cost and raise the current MSBU of $124 to whatever it needs to be and skip the progressive home value tax (MSTU). This gets the emergency service cost out of the general budget and rids us of the inequity of 2 neighbors paying different amounts for the same service.

[Babubhat]

From vn site

Veteran fireman says don't make a 'horrible mistake' - **************.com

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by oldtimes

No it is an agenda. I still think this person has something to gain besides worrying about their taxes.

It can be both. Personally, I don't really care. Everyone has their own opinions and agendas...

[oldtimes]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Most of this thread covers the funding for a separate IFD, so why not make it easy:

Take the number of parcels in the newly created IFD, divide it into the cost and raise the current MSBU of $124 to whatever it needs to be and skip the progressive home value tax (MSTU). This gets the emergency service cost out of the general budget and rids us of the inequity of 2 neighbors paying different amounts for the same service.

So you don't think that putting out a fire at a large multi floor premier home requires more manpower than a small 2 bedroom patio villa?

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by oldtimes

So you don't think that putting out a fire at a large multi floor premier home requires more manpower than a small 2 bedroom patio villa?

How many home fires do we see in The Villages?

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by oldtimes

So you don't think that putting out a fire at a large multi floor premier home requires more manpower than a small 2 bedroom patio villa?

Very slightly more---certainly not triple or higher. And all fire services are on an incremental cost basis. Based on Don's numbers it essentially costs 37 million to fight the first fire, and then $0.98 for each one thereafter----No different than the post office-----$100 billion to mail the first letter and $0.000005 for every one thereafter

PS: 2 story premier???? what model is that?????