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.

Ambulance Service has already been improved.
 

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.

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. :icon_hungry:

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

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

From vn site

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

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

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?

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?????

I don't know what the model is but we went into one in the Village of McClure a couple of years ago with our friends who were visiting. The master bedroom was upstairs.

Actually I found one
2 story home

Is that a real 2nd story or just for show, like the St. John's model? And if real, it may very well be an owner addition---just like the 2 homes that are behind #2 of Seminole at Belle Glade.

And an afterthought to incremental costs-----we all "know" it costs more to educate a student in our public schools if you live in a "2 story premier" than a courtyard villa, right?????

Since I am an aging senior and may be a bit slow at comprehending a lot of verbiage, can someone please answer what I consider a very simple question? It may have been addressed, but maybe someone can simplify it in plain English that I can understand.
Question:
If we vote yes, then TV (Sumter Co portion) has it's own Fire Dept and is responsible for the financing of it?
If we vote NO, then the whole county (Sumter) continues to pay for the Fire Dept? Since it would be a WHOLE county tax payers financed service then we would share the cost? If we segregate to a private Fire Dept. then TV portion of Sumter Co. would be responsible for the WHOLE cost?
Sorry, more than one question.
Just a thought: Seems like if we take on the added responsibility of financing our own FD, then this would be similar to paying our bonds that supposedly pays for Infrastructure in TV. I've paid my bond off, but adding the TVFD financing to my taxes seems like it would be like tacking another uncapped bond to my yearly tax. Right now, we pay for the FD but the whole county shares the cost, not just TV. Or am I mistaken?
If I am right, I can see NO justification for voting "YES"

Don Wiley is in a better position to clarify those statements.
I would also like to pose another simple question:

We know the financing may have unexpected costs, but outside of more local control I'll ask this:

What are the advantages of financing the VSPD separately?????

There are two fire companies that service the county today: VPSD inside the Villages and SCFD outside.

The county could, at any time, choose to merge the VPSD and the SCFD. At that point we would all share in the cost of the combined service. At that point we would all share in the benefits and the problems of the combined service.

Yes, the costs for the VPSD are shared with the entire county. HOWEVER, so are the costs for the SCFD. You and I pay for both. The guy down in Webster pays for both.

Under the IFD, only the Villagers (and those non-Villagers inside the IFD boundaries) would pay for the VPSD.

If the county moves forward with what they have projected then only those county residents outside the IFD boundaries would pay for the SCFD (you and I would not)

You currently pay something like 1.65mils towards the combined VPSD and SCFD. If the IFD passes and the 0.1mil estimate is correct then you will pay approximately 1.1mils towards the VPSD and nothing towards the SCFD. You will still pay for fire protection, it will just be on a separate line and it will likely be less than today.

(IMPORTANT: We don't yet know how the county will fund the SCFD so it is only an assumption that we will not continue to pay for the SCFD through our property taxes)

A Sumter County Commissioner has stated we will not be paying for SCFD if the IFD passes.

There are probably no advantage to just the separate financing of the VPSD. In fact, there could be disadvantages. However, the IFD is not just about separate financing.

The separate financing comes about when the IFD is created to separate the IFD from county funding.

What you also get is:
- You *only* finance the VPSD (today you also finance the SCFD)
- The VPSD is protected from being merged with the SCFD (this idea has been raised)

I like the idea that my fire protection costs will go down but what is more important to me is protecting the VPSD against being merged to form one, county-wide service.

And I believe what was stated and truly hope it turns out to be the case. Additionally, the projected 2024 projected budget is consistent with separate funding for the SCFD. I am just being careful with my words until all the dust has settled.

Thank you, and I agree----I doubt services in The Villages would be enhanced if the two departments are merged into one, much less the budget games that would likely result. The only financial concern is the concept that Don stated in his OP that the MTSU could be as high as 2 mil---that can add up quickly---I like the 0.1 mil number better.:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

In my calculations, the 0.1mil will result in close to the $18M that the VPSD is receiving from the county this year. If the expenses increase next year the 0.1mil may not be sufficient.

One of the risks of the IFD is there is little that can be done to control budget increases other than the 1mil cap. I will not be happy if my fire protection costs increase that much.

Taxpayer funds being used to promote the proposed fire district
 

Whether one intends to vote yes or no, residents should be outraged that the proponents of the new fire district are spending our tax dollars on color brochures and what appears to be a professionally made video that are nothing more than propaganda promoting the fire district. The brochures and video are just decoration on the poke in which the pig of the fire district is being hidden.

:loco::loco:
The cost of education.

Welcome back.
I've missed you.

:jester:

Where can I get one!

No idea.
No idea if they are real.
The poster who mentioned them, makes stuff up all the time.
:posting:

Says the lobbyist for the POA. lol

Nonsense…. Why would anyone vote yes…. Explain please
 

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

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??

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

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.

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.

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?

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 . . . . . .

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.