[Jotom]

Date: Thu, Oct 6, 2022 at 3:07 PM
Subject: Fire Dept. Referendum-Information - Important - Please Read
To:


Villages Separate Fire District Referendum

This is from a friend who follows all of the political issues in both The Villages and the surrounding counties. She has checked out the fire department thoroughly and lists the facts below.

Info regarding the referendum on the November 8th ballot.gg has been following the The Villages’ push for a separate fire district. She met with Chief Cain & Deputy Chief Goodworth on Friday, July 22nd and followed up with an email to Jim Goodworth on August 1st to clarify some of her questions and received answers August 3rd, and then attended a VHA meeting at Miona on September 14th.

Here is what she learned.

The fire department staffers calculated the new fire assessment fee. Based on the results of this analysis, she determined that Instead of paying $124.00, they will be paying $516.00. Your fee will be different from others because all properties ARE NOT being assessed the same fee. The fee will be based on the MARKET VALUE of your house. A home in your neighborhood may be paying more than you or less than you, even though you will be receiving the SAME SERVICES. If your house burns, or another house burns, both will still get the same number of responders and fire trucks no matter how much of a fee has been paid.

There is no cap on the residential fees that will be charged, and they can increase yearly. There is a cap on commercial properties … Guess who that benefits?

There ARE NO NEW SERVICES if the referendum passes

[Sandy and Ed]

First thank you for this detail. We attended two of the public sessions recently given to explain all this and frankly I was still confused after the meetings.

We received a Sample Ballot as is the usual case recently from Bill Keen. Very much appreciated. In reviewing it I noticed that it did not provide a ballot question for the actual “creation” of the new Fire Control/Rescue!! It only asked if the voter approved of the proposed means of funding the district. It was in effect a forced choice question worded so you would obviously vote “yes” to cap the tax. In doing so you would actually be voting for the district itself as well as its funding. Am I missing something here?? Wasn’t this ballot to first get voter approval for the district and then, if voter approved, get approval for the funding? I suppose I am still confused. Anyone out there able to enlighten me?? Is the new district question on the ballot??

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Jotom

Date: Thu, Oct 6, 2022 at 3:07 PM
Subject: Fire Dept. Referendum-Information - Important - Please Read
To:


Villages Separate Fire District Referendum

This is from a friend who follows all of the political issues in both The Villages and the surrounding counties. She has checked out the fire department thoroughly and lists the facts below.

...

This misleading claim is not new. You may want to look at posts #96 and #98 above and over on this thread posts #1, #3, #37, and #40

[charlie1]

I wish someone could just summarize what we know to be true about the new fire district based on the facts. Also maybe a separate list of what people are afraid will happen if it either passes or fails. Both sides seem to have a lot of emotion about what will happen should it pass/fail that are based on few or no facts.

[Byte1]

Simple question:
Does the creation and vote "YES" for a separate fire district cost the individual TV residents more or less tax money?

I believe that this question is more relevant than whether or not we will get better service with a separate fire district.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Simple question:
Does the creation and vote "YES" for a separate fire district cost the individual TV residents more or less tax money?

I believe that this question is more relevant than whether or not we will get better service with a separate fire district.

I would disagree. I feel the question of service, and quality/reliability of service, is more important than cost.

The portion of your overall tax bill that is used for fire protection should initially be less with the IFD. My fire protection costs will be less until the variable portion of the IFD funding hits about 0.6 mils.

Your overall tax bill is likely to increase. If this happens, it is not due to the IFD costs. If it happens it will be due to the BoCC not lowering millage to match the removal of the VPSD and SCFD - effectively a tax increase.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

I would disagree. I feel the question of service, and quality/reliability of service, is more important than cost.

The portion of your overall tax bill that is used for fire protection should initially be less with the IFD. My fire protection costs will be less until the variable portion of the IFD funding hits about 0.6 mils.

Your overall tax bill is likely to increase. If this happens, it is not due to the IFD costs. If it happens it will be due to the BoCC not lowering millage to match the removal of the VPSD and SCFD - effectively a tax increase.

Exactly. Of course, tax increases will ultimately occur anyway, but this sounds like a convenient excuse.
Now here's a new question: Will the creation of the IFD create another administrative hierarchy duplicating costs?

[mrf0151]

Villages Separate Fire District Referendum

This is from a friend who follows all of the political issues in both The Villages and the surrounding counties. She has checked out the fire department thoroughly and lists the facts below.

Info regarding the referendum on the November 8th ballot.

She has been following the The Villages’ push for a separate fire district. She met with Chief Cain & Deputy Chief Goodworth on Friday, July 22nd and followed up with an email to Jim Goodworth on August 1st to clarify some of her questions and received answers August 3rd, and then attended a VHA meeting at Miona on September 14th.

Here is what she learned.

The fire department staffers calculated the new fire assessment fee. Based on the results of this analysis, she determined that Instead of paying $124.00, they will be paying $516.00. Your fee will be different from others because all properties ARE NOT being assessed the same fee. The fee will be based on the MARKET VALUE of your house. A home in your neighborhood may be paying more than you or less than you, even though you will be receiving the SAME SERVICES. If your house burns, or another house burns, both will still get the same number of responders and fire trucks no matter how much of a fee has been paid.

There is no cap on the residential fees that will be charged, and they can increase yearly. There is a cap on commercial properties … Guess who that benefits?

There ARE NO NEW SERVICES if the referendum passes.

Ambulances have been purchased and are ready to go October 1, 2022 and will be staffed with paramedics from the fire dept.

If the referendum is voted down, the county continues to fund the fire dept. (FUNDING HAS NEVER BEEN DENIED BY THE COUNTY) and we continue to receive all the services we have been getting.

The referendum, if passed, would set up a NEW TAXING DISTRICT controlled by The Villages for the first 3–5 years before we can start electing villagers of our choice. If the referendum is passed, it cannot be reversed or undone. It is here to stay!

Please vote NO on this referendum on November 8th. OUR NEW ambulance service and existing fire department will not change if you vote NO!

Please forward to fellow villagers . . . . . .

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by mrf0151

Villages Separate Fire District Referendum

This is from a friend who follows all of the political issues in both The Villages and the surrounding counties. She has checked out the fire department thoroughly and lists the facts below.

....

Your "friend" seems to really get around.

Take a look at posts #151 and #153 above.

[oldtimes]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Your "friend" seems to really get around.

Take a look at posts #151 and #153 above.

Yes there is definitely an agenda going on here. Someone stands to gain greatly to see this defeated.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by oldtimes

Yes there is definitely an agenda going on here. Someone stands to gain greatly to see this defeated.

Just the normal haters.

Name one service Sumter County does better or at a lower cost to Villages residents?

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Just the normal haters.

Name one service Sumter County does better or at a lower cost to Villages residents?

Rent out commercial space?????

[charlie1]

Originally Posted by mrf0151

Villages Separate Fire District Referendum

This is from a friend who follows all of the political issues in both The Villages and the surrounding counties. She has checked out the fire department thoroughly and lists the facts below.

Info regarding the referendum on the November 8th ballot.

She has been following the The Villages’ push for a separate fire district. She met with Chief Cain & Deputy Chief Goodworth on Friday, July 22nd and followed up with an email to Jim Goodworth on August 1st to clarify some of her questions and received answers August 3rd, and then attended a VHA meeting at Miona on September 14th.

Here is what she learned.

The fire department staffers calculated the new fire assessment fee. Based on the results of this analysis, she determined that Instead of paying $124.00, they will be paying $516.00. Your fee will be different from others because all properties ARE NOT being assessed the same fee. The fee will be based on the MARKET VALUE of your house. A home in your neighborhood may be paying more than you or less than you, even though you will be receiving the SAME SERVICES. If your house burns, or another house burns, both will still get the same number of responders and fire trucks no matter how much of a fee has been paid.

There is no cap on the residential fees that will be charged, and they can increase yearly. There is a cap on commercial properties … Guess who that benefits?

There ARE NO NEW SERVICES if the referendum passes.

Ambulances have been purchased and are ready to go October 1, 2022 and will be staffed with paramedics from the fire dept.

If the referendum is voted down, the county continues to fund the fire dept. (FUNDING HAS NEVER BEEN DENIED BY THE COUNTY) and we continue to receive all the services we have been getting.

The referendum, if passed, would set up a NEW TAXING DISTRICT controlled by The Villages for the first 3–5 years before we can start electing villagers of our choice. If the referendum is passed, it cannot be reversed or undone. It is here to stay!

Please vote NO on this referendum on November 8th. OUR NEW ambulance service and existing fire department will not change if you vote NO!

Please forward to fellow villagers . . . . . .

ANYBODY THAT DID ANY RESEARCH WILL KNOW THAT THIS DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REDUCTION IN THE SUMTER COUNTY TAXES! PLEASE GIVE COMPLETE FACTS BEFORE SPREADING YOUR INCOMPLETE PICTURE.

All I know is that this whole thing started with a vote to merge the current villages fire department into the Sumter County Fire department. We all know how good Sumter was with Ambulance service! Why would we want them to take over the fire department also. Without a separate district, Sumter can do whatever they please with both the ambulance and fire departments. They would not need a referendum! Once the district is finalized, they lose the option to merge the departments.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by charlie1

ANYBODY THAT DID ANY RESEARCH WILL KNOW THAT THIS DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REDUCTION IN THE SUMTER COUNTY TAXES! PLEASE GIVE COMPLETE FACTS BEFORE SPREADING YOUR INCOMPLETE PICTURE.

All I know is that this whole thing started with a vote to merge the current villages fire department into the Sumter County Fire department. We all know how good Sumter was with Ambulance service! Why would we want them to take over the fire department also. Without a separate district, Sumter can do whatever they please with both the ambulance and fire departments. They would not need a referendum! Once the district is finalized, they lose the option to merge the departments.

I think you pretty much nailed it.

It seems to be that the main advantage of a separate IFD is protection against the VSPD getting merged into Sumter Co.
The disadvantage appears to be that, while this should be relatively revenue neutral, there is no guarantee that the county will reduce its milage rate to reflect the fact that they will no longer be paying for the VSPD

[Byte1]

Ok, so if I am not mistaken, my taxes will go up because now I will be paying for emergency services twice. Because I will be paying via the county taxes and via some TV added tax. My bond is paid so I am not sure I am convinced that paying TV another fee/tax is something I look forward to. Until someone explains it in a manner that convinces me that paying twice is a good idea, I think I'll pass on it. Not sure if I like the answers of "maybe, IF, might, could" or a promise of better service. Better than what? Does anyone have a problem with our current Fire Dept? I am not trying to stir up trouble. Just trying to understand the advantage of paying more for something I hopefully will never need to use. I also attempt to get the best price for insurance every chance I get. Living on a limited income, I try to be prudent with my finances when possible.