Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 1904385)

Help me understand this. If the biggest beneficiary of a tax decrease would be the developer then wouldn't the one hurt most by a tax increase also be the developer? Yet it was the developer fighting for a tax increase. )

Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 1904385)

Help me understand this. If the biggest beneficiary of a tax decrease would be the developer then wouldn't the one hurt most by a tax increase also be the developer? Yet it was the developer fighting for a tax increase. Did he/they really work against their best interests?

"The county would get less revenue from impact fees." Given that the county only receives 40% of what the impact really costs, wouldn't receiving less revenue from impact fees actually result in a 60% savings? (If you don't think so, then I'll buy $100 bills from you for $40 all day long, just let me know where we can meet)

Originally Posted by rogerk (Post 1904303)

The biggest beneficiary of a Property Tax decrease would be the developer. Second a reduction in new business coming into Sumter County would result in a longer-term reduction in the tax base. The county would get less revenue from impact fees and less property tax revenue. I see this as a lose lose proposal.

These new commissioners are only looking short term. The supposed benefits would be minimal but the longer term pact would be significantly greater.

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 1904106)

In most areas of the country that are not set up as CDDs, the developer pays for the roads, sewer, water, utilities etc. That cost is built into the price of the home so no buyer ever knows about the issue of impact fees. Here, it is different and traditionally in TV, the taxpayer has shouldered much of the burden. Either way the taxpayer/homeowner is paying for it. It is a fallacy to think that the "developer" ever eats those fees.

Is it fair for existing homeowners to pay for new homeowners? Yes and no. Everyone benefits from the increased services a thriving economy has brought to this area due to "the developer" Sumter County 30 years ago was the poorest county in Florida, now it is 11th out of 60+. Everyone benefits from the retail opportunities, the restaurant choices, the grocery stores, the employment opportunities.

To those that think this is "the developer's sweetheart impact fee deal", consider this: Who paid the impact fee when YOUR house was new? Or is it just a case of changing the rules after they got their benefit and denying it to future home buyers?

Originally Posted by Aloha1 (Post 1904345)

The problem is there is a cadre of residents who haven't had a tax increase for several years unlike the other 2 counties wherein TV exists. They "think" the southern expansion has no benefit to them, they don't like the fact that TV is growing beyond what it was when they bought in. They do not want change. They get a $325 tax increase after several years and are incensed because "it has to be the evil developer who's causing this". So their answer is, "to heck with you and yours, we don't want any part of anything different than when we bought in". So sad and so selfish.

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr (Post 1904474)

In many development the developer or the resident's own the streets. here, the streets are owned by the towns, counties or state.

But you make an excellent point. All monies come from the end user. It's like people that don't understand that corporations don't actually pay taxes. They simply collect the money from their customers and pass it on to the government.

Originally Posted by birdiebill (Post 1904404)

I suggest you Google "Sumter County Florida road impact fees" and study the current impact fees for every category of construction; there are around 80 categories. All are at 40% of the max allowed. As I understand if you increase the impact fee for one category of construction, the rate of increase has to also be applied to all categories of construction.

The developer was suggesting he would voluntarily pay an extra 40% of his current fee. He was not suggesting the commissioners raise his rate by 40% because the same percent increase would have to be applied to all the other categories also. He was willing to pay a little more than required under the currently established rate as long as the rate did not have to be increased on all categories of construction. I don't know if one can make an accurate claim that 40% of the max rate allowed only covers 40% of the actual impact costs.

Originally Posted by LeeM (Post 1903560)

The Daily Sun is not a newspaper. It's propaganda for the developer. And the descriptions they use of Miller, Search and Estep are disgraceful. It's pretty obvious our new elected officials have gotten under the developer's skin. I'm very pleased the attempts to rig the election by making it so Democrats couldn't vote, shoveling money at the old candidates, hiring a consultant, propaganda in the paper, etc. didn't work! So pleased that our new commissioners are working for US and not the developer. And that's as it should be!

Originally Posted by Advogado (Post 1903501)

The head-line article in today's Daily Sun is the latest impact-fee bull shoveled by the Developer's Minister of Propaganda, David R. Corder. It nowhere mentions the decrease in property taxes that would match the increase in impact fees. Estep, Miller, and Search ran on a platform of reversing the 25% property-tax increase imposed by the Developer's puppet Commissioners to preserve the Developer's sweetheart impact fee.

Mr. Corder constantly describes the proposed impact-fee increase as a "tax increase". It would not be a tax increase. It would be a SHIFTING of taxes to pay for the Developer's county infrastructure (roads, police, fire, etc.) from the present residents to the Developer, who should be bearing such costs. The net result would be a tax decrease for current businesses and residents. New or existing businesses building a new structure would pay the impact fee once and then enjoy lower property taxes, amortizing and deducting the impact fee over the life of the building.

Again, this would be a tax break for existing, COVID-impacted businesses. Furthermore, expanding existing businesses filling up the many existing vacant premises would pay no impact fee and would enjoy the benefit of lower property taxes. Unfortunately, the issue is complicated and, for many residents, the Developer's newspaper is their only source of local news. These folks may well believe Mr. Corder's distortion of the facts.

Originally Posted by richs631 (Post 1904567)

What exactly do you expect from a newspaper that is owned by the developer. It’s the same as watching CNN.

Originally Posted by Advogado (Post 1903501)

The head-line article in today's Daily Sun is the latest impact-fee bull shoveled by the Developer's Minister of Propaganda, David R. Corder. It nowhere mentions the decrease in property taxes that would match the increase in impact fees. Estep, Miller, and Search ran on a platform of reversing the 25% property-tax increase imposed by the Developer's puppet Commissioners to preserve the Developer's sweetheart impact fee.

Mr. Corder constantly describes the proposed impact-fee increase as a "tax increase". It would not be a tax increase. It would be a SHIFTING of taxes to pay for the Developer's county infrastructure (roads, police, fire, etc.) from the present residents to the Developer, who should be bearing such costs. The net result would be a tax decrease for current businesses and residents. New or existing businesses building a new structure would pay the impact fee once and then enjoy lower property taxes, amortizing and deducting the impact fee over the life of the building.

Again, this would be a tax break for existing, COVID-impacted businesses. Furthermore, expanding existing businesses filling up the many existing vacant premises would pay no impact fee and would enjoy the benefit of lower property taxes. Unfortunately, the issue is complicated and, for many residents, the Developer's newspaper is their only source of local news. These folks may well believe Mr. Corder's distortion of the facts.

Originally Posted by LuvtheVillages (Post 1903544)

I guess you don't know that the Daily Sun is not a newspaper. It is owned by The Developer and its sole purpose is to sell more homes. It does not pretend to be journalism, much less responsible journalism.

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725 (Post 1903576)

There are a lot of other sources for Villages' news. Try Facebook, for instance. Google "The Villages" with "Facebook".

He that owns the press has the power but then along came the Internet.