[john352]

There does not appear to be a fire impact fee in Sumter County; but, there is in Lake County In the March 23, 2020 issue of the Daily Sun, there is an article on page C3 about a new million-dollar fire truck that can reach the top of the new Brownwood Hotel and Spa. The article does not tell the current Sumter County property taxpayers who is paying for this million-dollar fire truck. The important question is: when new fire stations and/or equipment are needed in Sumter County due to new commercial and new residential construction, who pays? Is it the current property owners or the new homeowners and new business construction via a fire impact fee? I believe that the “FIRE ASSESSMENT” on my property tax bill should only be paying for the operation of the existing fire stations and the replacement of obsolete equipment. My 2020 fire assessment was $124.

For many years, Lake County has an impact fee for “Fire”, in addition to Road, School, Parks, and Library. As of March 2020 for a new home, the fire impact fee is $390. For most commercial buildings (including hotels, motels, and medical offices) it is $1095 per 1000 square foot. Note that for hospitals the fire impact fee is $361 per 1000 square feet. If you are interested in seeing the Lake County impact fee schedules, here are the links: Residential and Commercial.

Sumter County should have had fire impact fees in place years ago. Now is the time for the Sumter County Commissioners to establish a fire impact fee so that the current property taxpayers, who are also voters, are not burdened with the expansion of The Villages.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by john352

. The important question is: when new fire stations and/or equipment are needed in Sumter County due to new commercial and new residential construction, who pays?

You should learn the answer.

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by john352

There does not appear to be a fire impact fee in Sumter County; but, there is in Lake County In the March 23, 2020 issue of the Daily Sun, there is an article on page C3 about a new million-dollar fire truck that can reach the top of the new Brownwood Hotel and Spa. The article does not tell the current Sumter County property taxpayers who is paying for this million-dollar fire truck. The important question is: when new fire stations and/or equipment are needed in Sumter County due to new commercial and new residential construction, who pays? Is it the current property owners or the new homeowners and new business construction via a fire impact fee? I believe that the “FIRE ASSESSMENT” on my property tax bill should only be paying for the operation of the existing fire stations and the replacement of obsolete equipment. My 2020 fire assessment was $124.

For many years, Lake County has an impact fee for “Fire”, in addition to Road, School, Parks, and Library. As of March 2020 for a new home, the fire impact fee is $390. For most commercial buildings (including hotels, motels, and medical offices) it is $1095 per 1000 square foot. Note that for hospitals the fire impact fee is $361 per 1000 square feet. If you are interested in seeing the Lake County impact fee schedules, here are the links: Residential and Commercial.

Sumter County should have had fire impact fees in place years ago. Now is the time for the Sumter County Commissioners to establish a fire impact fee so that the current property taxpayers, who are also voters, are not burdened with the expansion of The Villages.

Thank you for highlighting what is going on.

Once again, it appears that the Developer's sweetheart impact fee (fire and EMS rates of $0 for each new house and commercial building) will result in the current residents being taxed to cover costs that should be covered by impact fees. But let's see how this plays out at the County Commission, where the Developer no longer has all 5 Commissioners securely in his pocket.

And, once again, on this site, you will probably find a little group of Developer-philes defending that method of governmental financing and sniping at your post.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by john352

There does not appear to be a fire impact fee in Sumter County; but, there is in Lake County In the March 23, 2020 issue of the Daily Sun, there is an article on page C3 about a new million-dollar fire truck that can reach the top of the new Brownwood Hotel and Spa. The article does not tell the current Sumter County property taxpayers who is paying for this million-dollar fire truck. The important question is: when new fire stations and/or equipment are needed in Sumter County due to new commercial and new residential construction, who pays? Is it the current property owners or the new homeowners and new business construction via a fire impact fee? I believe that the “FIRE ASSESSMENT” on my property tax bill should only be paying for the operation of the existing fire stations and the replacement of obsolete equipment. My 2020 fire assessment was $124.

For many years, Lake County has an impact fee for “Fire”, in addition to Road, School, Parks, and Library. As of March 2020 for a new home, the fire impact fee is $390. For most commercial buildings (including hotels, motels, and medical offices) it is $1095 per 1000 square foot. Note that for hospitals the fire impact fee is $361 per 1000 square feet. If you are interested in seeing the Lake County impact fee schedules, here are the links: Residential and Commercial.

Sumter County should have had fire impact fees in place years ago. Now is the time for the Sumter County Commissioners to establish a fire impact fee so that the current property taxpayers, who are also voters, are not burdened with the expansion of The Villages.

Be careful what you say or you will be given the anti-growth label.

[Advogado]

[QUOTE=tophcfa;1921424]Be careful what you say or you will be given the anti-growth label.[/QUO

Worse yet, you may find yourself on attorney George Angeliadis's hit list, which he is compiling on behalf of a mysterious, deep-pocketed client-- whose identity he still refuses to disclose. For a cute video on the Angeliadis fishing expedition, click here: George Angeliadis Open Records Request - YouTube

If you want more details, ask Commissioner Breeden or Gilpin about who is paying Angeliadis and what they know about what is going on.

You can't make up stuff like this and State Representative Hage's promoting the impact-fee legislation. It is surrealistic and could only happen in Sumter County.

[mulligan]

You all should, as the inimitable Mr . Wilson says "learn the answer".

[mulligan]

Misinformation runs rampant.

[Number 10 GI]

My searching for an understanding of impact fees shows that it is used to pay for the cost of adding new or expanding existing fire stations, water/sewer treatment plants and other public support facilities, not for the operation of these facilities. It is a one time fee, taxes pay for the operation of these facilities. Seems like too many here think that the impact fee pays for operating them also.

[spk7951]

Originally Posted by john352

There does not appear to be a fire impact fee in Sumter County; but, there is in Lake County In the March 23, 2020 issue of the Daily Sun, there is an article on page C3 about a new million-dollar fire truck that can reach the top of the new Brownwood Hotel and Spa. The article does not tell the current Sumter County property taxpayers who is paying for this million-dollar fire truck. The important question is: when new fire stations and/or equipment are needed in Sumter County due to new commercial and new residential construction, who pays? Is it the current property owners or the new homeowners and new business construction via a fire impact fee? I believe that the “FIRE ASSESSMENT” on my property tax bill should only be paying for the operation of the existing fire stations and the replacement of obsolete equipment. My 2020 fire assessment was $124.

For many years, Lake County has an impact fee for “Fire”, in addition to Road, School, Parks, and Library. As of March 2020 for a new home, the fire impact fee is $390. For most commercial buildings (including hotels, motels, and medical offices) it is $1095 per 1000 square foot. Note that for hospitals the fire impact fee is $361 per 1000 square feet. If you are interested in seeing the Lake County impact fee schedules, here are the links: Residential and Commercial.

Sumter County should have had fire impact fees in place years ago. Now is the time for the Sumter County Commissioners to establish a fire impact fee so that the current property taxpayers, who are also voters, are not burdened with the expansion of The Villages.

The yearly fire assessment fee currently brings in maybe $9M, nowhere near enough to fund the County & Villages Fire/EMS services. In the 2019 County budget $10.4M was allocated to the County FD and $14.5M allocated to the Villages FD. The County also took out a $2.3M loan to pay for the new fire station off of 44 by I-75.
I would guess County taxes are paying for any new apparatus.

[Northwoods]

I believe Goldwingnut stated in a previous post that The Developer has built and paid for all the fire stations in The Villages, and then has turned them over to the District at no charge.
If that is true... based on the current relationship between the commissioners and The Developer, it will be interesting to see if this will continue.

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by Northwoods

I believe Goldwingnut stated in a previous post that The Developer has built and paid for all the fire stations in The Villages, and then has turned them over to the District at no charge.
If that is true... based on the current relationship between the commissioners and The Developer, it will be interesting to see if this will continue.

They are built by the developer and given to the county at no charge with the deed stipulation that they remain fire stations and if not, the property, in its entirety, is returned to the developer.

The old adage of "be careful what you ask for, you may get it" hold true here. The developer has tried to work to a compromise with the county commissioners on the impact fees, but they want none of it, so be it. They may be in for a few shocks in the future when they start to realize that many things impact fees are supposed to cover have been funded, like the fire stations, by the developer, at no cost to the county. These acts will most assuredly end very quickly.

It has been a give-and-take relationship working both ways for both parties, for the benefit of both parties. A win-win relationship. The county commissioners short sightedly now want to make it a win-lose relationship. This only works for a very short time and then it becomes a lose-lose situation with the biggest losers being in this case the residents and taxpayers of Sumter County.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by john352

Sumter County should have had fire impact fees in place years ago. Now is the time for the Sumter County Commissioners to establish a fire impact fee so that the current property taxpayers, who are also voters, are not burdened with the expansion of The Villages.

Silly rabbit, Tricks (not Trix) are for kids.
Do a little research and you will avoid the embarrassment.


Besides knocking down a fire at OUR hospital, the new truck has many uses.

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

They are built by the developer and given to the county at no charge with the deed stipulation that they remain fire stations and if not, the property, in its entirety, is returned to the developer.

The old adage of "be careful what you ask for, you may get it" hold true here. The developer has tried to work to a compromise with the county commissioners on the impact fees, but they want none of it, so be it. They may be in for a few shocks in the future when they start to realize that many things impact fees are supposed to cover have been funded, like the fire stations, by the developer, at no cost to the county. These acts will most assuredly end very quickly.

It has been a give-and-take relationship working both ways for both parties, for the benefit of both parties. A win-win relationship. The county commissioners short sightedly now want to make it a win-lose relationship. This only works for a very short time and then it becomes a lose-lose situation with the biggest losers being in this case the residents and taxpayers of Sumter County.

The funding, ownership, and administration of fire and ems facilities and operations is complicated. Honest question to you: Do you know of any source for an authoritative description thereof?

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by mulligan

You all should, as the inimitable Mr . Wilson says "learn the answer".

Learning new things is a never ending quest.....

inimitable
[iˈnimədəb(ə)l]
ADJECTIVE
so good or unusual as to be impossible to copy; unique.
"the inimitable ambience of Hawaii"
synonyms:
unique · distinctive · individual · special · idiosyncratic · quirky · exclusive · rare · incomparable · unparalleled · unrivaled · matchless · unmatched · peerless · unequaled · unsurpassed · unsurpassable · superlative · supreme · without equal · without match ·

[Dond1959]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

They are built by the developer and given to the county at no charge with the deed stipulation that they remain fire stations and if not, the property, in its entirety, is returned to the developer.

The old adage of "be careful what you ask for, you may get it" hold true here. The developer has tried to work to a compromise with the county commissioners on the impact fees, but they want none of it, so be it. They may be in for a few shocks in the future when they start to realize that many things impact fees are supposed to cover have been funded, like the fire stations, by the developer, at no cost to the county. These acts will most assuredly end very quickly.

It has been a give-and-take relationship working both ways for both parties, for the benefit of both parties. A win-win relationship. The county commissioners short sightedly now want to make it a win-lose relationship. This only works for a very short time and then it becomes a lose-lose situation with the biggest losers being in this case the residents and taxpayers of Sumter County.

Thanks Don for bringing facts to the discussion. So much on here is speculation that people turn to facts. Also, fire equipment doesn’t last forever, there will be expenses for replacement of equipment north of 44, but no one wants to discuss that.