[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Millage rate may be at its lowest ever but you and I will be paying the same amount in property tax this year as we did last year. The rate is lower due to increased property values and additional homes, not because the BoCC lowered its spending.

The amount collected in property tax this year is projected to be $2M more than last year. At the same time, because of the new VPSDDD the county will spend $7M less than last year on fire protection. Decrease spending by $7M, increase income by $2M, and then advertise the rolled-back rate as a reduction even though you and I will be paying nearly the same amount. That does deserve some recognition.

The VPSDDD deserves recognition too for throwing around the 1.31mills reduction number when in reality the number was 0.32mills (which we aren't getting) but this is a topic for a different thread.

Fair points.
Municipal math and finance will always be great fodder...and sport!

[J71TV]

I received the letter about the 56% increase of the annual maintenance fee for district 14 ( Lake Denham). I found the link to the proposed budget on the VCDD website. It appears to me that the vast increase of that budget is for funding the Eastport Maintenance Advisory Committee (EMAC). The cost of that committee for District 14 is proposed to be $1.22M. It was not on the budget last year. So District 14's budget will go from $1.5M to about $2.5M. I understand that there were other increases maybe due to inflation, but this major increase is mostly for funding a committee (EMAC) which advises on the development of Eastport in District 15.

Budget attached from VCDD website.

[Bill14564]

Eastport CDD manages the project-wide maintenance of CDD14, CDD15, and ECDD. The EMAC advises on the project-wide maintenance activities.

This is similar to the SLCDD which manages project-wide maintenance of CDD5-CDD13, SLCDD, and BCDD. The PWAC advises on these project-wide maintenance activities.

If you look in the old agenda items for ECDD and CDD14 you should be able to find the interlocal agreement that provides for this project-wide maintenance.

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Millage rate may be at its lowest ever but you and I will be paying the same amount in property tax this year as we did last year. The rate is lower due to increased property values and additional homes, not because the BoCC lowered its spending.

The amount collected in property tax this year is projected to be $2M more than last year. At the same time, because of the new VPSDDD the county will spend $7M less than last year on fire protection. Decrease spending by $7M, increase income by $2M, and then advertise the rolled-back rate as a reduction even though you and I will be paying nearly the same amount. That does deserve some recognition.

The VPSDDD deserves recognition too for throwing around the 1.31mills reduction number when in reality the number was 0.32mills (which we aren't getting) but this is a topic for a different thread.

The one part of the discussion being missed is that, at the demand of the residents of Sumter County and The Villages, ambulance service was brought in house instead of being contracted out to AMR and with this action the number of ambulances serving the county went from 6-7 county wide to 18-19 combined from SCFEMS and VPSD. A higher level of service was demanded and now it must be paid for. So yes, there was a total tax bill increase for everyone in the county, who did you expect to pay for the increase in service, "someone else"?

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

The one part of the discussion being missed is that, at the demand of the residents of Sumter County and The Villages, ambulance service was brought in house instead of being contracted out to AMR and with this action the number of ambulances serving the county went from 6-7 county wide to 18-19 combined from SCFEMS and VPSD. A higher level of service was demanded and now it must be paid for. So yes, there was a total tax bill increase for everyone in the county, who did you expect to pay for the increase in service, "someone else"?

I understood that this was instituted in Oct 2022 and was part of the 22-23 and 23-24 budgets. Therefore, I expected a similar cost to appear in the 24-25 budget.

I guess the question is either:
1. When will this turnover that began in Oct 2022 be complete so we can stop seeing the expansion used as an explanation/excuse for more spending?

OR

2. Why are we still hearing about increased spending when the increased services began during the 22-23 budget year?

It isn't very palatable to think that a potential savings of over $300 on every $300,000 home in the Villages this year was erased to pay for expanded ambulance service OUTSIDE the Villages.

EDIT to add:

To be fair, my biggest beef is with the misleading information in the VPSDDD presentation. 1.31mills were never in play since nearly 1 mill of that was for "EMS services" that were never to be included in the VPSDDD funding.

Over the years, other than the year of the 33% rate increase, the BoCC property tax revenue has increased a little slower than inflation. The projected increase for this year is the lowest in the past five years.

[Margefrog]

Originally Posted by Cranky

Should talk about the 31% increase for Middleton. That maintenance fee increase brings our Middleton home to $2800 for the year. I wish we were paying less than a $1000 like most of the villages.

I know of no one paying less than $1,000 per tear. The least amount I know of for HOA monthly, is $195. Rounded to $2,400 annual.

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by Margefrog

I know of no one paying less than $1,000 per tear. The least amount I know of for HOA monthly, is $195. Rounded to $2,400 annual.

Marge
I think you're confusing the monthly amenity fee and the annual maintenance fee.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by LeRoySmith

Marge
I think you're confusing the monthly amenity fee and the annual maintenance fee.

And I believe HOA is not an on campus entity.....as always, stand to be corrected

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

And I believe HOA is not an on campus entity.....as always, stand to be corrected

I think she meant Head of the Operating Administration

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by LeRoySmith

I think she meant Head of the Operating Administration

Ha!

btw: All good

[Altavia]

Has anyone running across a chart showing the Maintenance Fee by district?

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Has anyone running across a chart showing the Maintenance Fee by district?

The maintenance fee varies by Unit in each District, just like your bond. I've never seen a single chart or collection for all Districts but you can find a chart for a particular District by looking at their past meeting agendas.

Thrwre is a search function but I haven't figures out how to use it properly.

June seems to be the month to discuss changing the maintenance fee.

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

The maintenance fee varies by Unit in each District, just like your bond. I've never seen a single chart or collection for all Districts but you can find a chart for a particular District by looking at their past meeting agendas.

Thrwre is a search function but I haven't figures out how to use it properly.

June seems to be the month to discuss changing the maintenance fee.

I just found several while playing with the search. I was also surprised that it varies within the district.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by LeRoySmith

I just found several while playing with the search. I was also surprised that it varies within the district.

Interesting, thanks!

Is the acres column the number of acres (in your unit?) maintained?

[P A Paul]

Officially worried about you and the WAY OVERDUE (per your promises) about video #148.
Hope you’re O.k.!!!