[Bilyclub]

Originally Posted by skip0358

All I can say is IF so many people are unhappy with the Developer & his Family and his relationship with the County Politicians perhaps they should put their house up for sale.

Yes, 25% 2019 property tax increase: Sumter Leaders Agree to Increase Property Tax by 25 Percent

I would prefer voting out puppet politicians over selling.

[skip0358]

A portion of your total tax bill was increased I can assure you my total tax bill has not gone up 25% since we moved here in 2009 ! Yes some things did increase but others decreased and no where near 25% increase. I’m quite sure very few people can say their total bill went up 25%.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by skip0358

A portion of your total tax bill was increased I can assure you my total tax bill has not gone up 25% since we moved here in 2009 ! Yes some things did increase but others decreased and no where near 25% increase. I’m quite sure very few people can say their total bill went up 25%.

As always a voice of reason. These new voices seem to be trying to paint a different picture but you are right.

We have had a lot of new voices on this issue on this thread. I am always a skeptic and wonder who and what the agenda is behind this push to get the incumbents out. I am pretty sure I know. I hope the same majority will still vote the way they have for as long as we have lived here. This new group who wants change looks real wrong to me.

This is a CDD which is an unusual and workable way to run things. I think it beats the hell out of how most municipalities are run. There seems a push to make it more like Orlando? No thank you. I like this way and the CDD way of doing stuff. Long live the Morses and I hope the incumbent commissioners continue.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by skip0358

A portion of your total tax bill was increased I can assure you my total tax bill has not gone up 25% since we moved here in 2009 ! Yes some things did increase but others decreased and no where near 25% increase. I’m quite sure very few people can say their total bill went up 25%.

Let me ask the question another way. For past 10 plus years real estate taxes went down a bit each year as the county grew rapidly.

My understanding is last year real estate taxes went up 25%. Lets not confuse the issue and talk about what has happened since 2009.

Is my understanding of 2019 right or wrong? Very simple question.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Let me ask the question another way. For past 10 plus years real estate taxes went down a bit each year as the county grew rapidly.

My understanding is last year real estate taxes went up 25%. Lets not confuse the issue and talk about what has happened since 2009.

Is my understanding of 2019 right or wrong? Very simple question.

Your understanding is absolutely correct.

[ctmurray]

There have been articles showing how much money was raised by each candidate and who contributed, this is public information. The article I saw was a long time ago and each of the incumbents had raised 138,000 and this came from all the service suppliers in the Villages; Munns, T&D Pool supply, various law firms. Anyone who benefits from the current system.

[davem4616]

I have very mixed emotions about long term politicians remaining in office time after time, after time...the absence of term limits at all levels in government is a problem

it's very easy for a LT politician to get a little too self-important and ignore the wishes of the common voter...let alone be influenced to vote in favor or against something to please a heavy contributor to their campaign re-election fund

we always swopped the purchasing agents/buyers and vendor relationships every few years....to prevent funny stuff from happening

[birdiebill]

We love living here with all the available activities (pre-Covid), the well kept landscaping, the covenants and restrictions, and the LOW taxes. Beware of anti-developer sentiment. Change is not always good.

[Fredster]

Originally Posted by birdiebill

We love living here with all the available activities (pre-Covid), the well kept landscaping, the covenants and restrictions, and the LOW taxes. Beware of anti-developer sentiment. Change is not always good.

[skip0358]

My tax bill went up 6.2% from the previous year period. That's a far cry from 25%. I pulled the bills out and checked!

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by skip0358

My tax bill went up 6.2% from the previous year period. That's a far cry from 25%. I pulled the bills out and checked!

OK and good for you but it is common knowledge that taxes went up by 25% last year.

[PennBF]

Forgetting whether the Commissioner's were/are pawns of the Developer I did the homework necessary to determine in my opinion if they were qualified for these positions. To make this determination I pulled all of the public information I could on each one of the Commissioners and based on this research I came away with the opinion that only 1 "may" have the background to hold an important role as a Commissioner. It is important to not even have the slightest appearance of a conflict of interest to serve the residence and in these cases the appearance of a conflict of interest is over the top. I will give one rather simple test and that is there should never be a "surprise" when Managing! and the fact that reserve funds were not made available over the years for repairs and instead they (the Commissioner's) allowed this to go unattended over the years and surprised the residents would in itself be a cause to let them go. Then to try to fool the residents further by saying "oops" maybe we overstated the need and will reduce the new 25% surprise is just another indication that you can't do the job or you are further extending your errors by trying anything to get reelected. It is a truly a strong indication the current Commissioner's are not the ones to make decisions for the residents.

[skip0358]

Pull your tax bills and do the math. Bet it wasn't a 25% increase in your total bill year to year!

[shut the front door]

There is an opinion piece on that other site written by Scott Fenstermaker. It explains a lot. "The odor of the latest ad"

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by Northwoods

I think this is an important election. I would bet there is a good relationship between the current commissioners and The Developer. If "we" vote in the "new" team, you can say goodbye to entertainment on the square in both Brownwood and Lake Sumter. (Oren Miller has stated in two separate Facebook posts he would vote NO to continue to fund $120,000 from the hotel tax to pay for square entertainment).
So pat yourself on the back that you voted out those "puppets." Then let me know how happy you are that the entertainment is gone. Square businesses will struggle (many retail establishments are closing early now because there is no entertainment to drive traffic).
Now you have a situation just like congress... two sides won't give an inch and nothing gets done.
As Barack Obama once said "Elections have consequences."

Oren Miller has NO intention of defunding the town-square entertainment. I have personally asked him about that false rumor that is being circulated by his opponents. It is not true.