[charlie1]

Originally Posted by RoboVil

Well, the landscaped house a few doors down just listed for $475k and my non-landscaped house is assessed at over $600k. Every measure indicates housing values in the Villages have fallen since 2023 which was the peak, yet assessment has increased each year. Established home valuations (excluding new homes) have fallen by about 7.8% since 2023. Did the assessment of your house decrease by 7.8% since 2023. Mine didn't. It increased each year. Proof enough for you?

My original assessment did go down! However, after it was ADJUSTED by SAVE YOUR HOME exemption it did go up. Remember that SAVE YOUR HOME allows your assessment to go up 3% each year and gives you an exemption for the difference which is cumulative over the years. On years where the values go down, money is taken from the accumulated benefits to reach the 3% increase! My save your home exemption raised dramatically in prior years but decreased last year! Saved me money during the uptick in home values. Now I am paying some of it back!

[kansasr]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

The VA is federally funded, the Veterans Services Office in Sumter County is 100% funded by the county and not related to the VA. It is NOT a required service and will likely be eliminated to have the needed funds to support the dozens of unfulfilled (by the state) state mandates.

This is a sad consequence of the 'throw the baby out with the bath water" Amendment 3 as this has been a valuable service for Veterans trying to deal with their disability ratings and the impact it can have on their property tax exemptions.

But who needs things like libraries, parks and public services?

[G.R.I.T.S.]

Originally Posted by Joecooool418

Employees will be the last thing they cut.

Employees will be the first to go if library branches are cut back/closed, Sumter busses don’t run/are reduced, park maintenance if hours are reduced, fire fighters/EMTs dismissed if the staffing is reduced, and on and on.

[Joecooool418]

Originally Posted by RoboVil

The problem is that not everyone in the Villages is rich. It is that belief which has led to assessing houses in the Villages more than they are worth and consequently helping to pass amendment 3.

Yea, no. I bought a new home in 2025 for $850K. The millage rate on my tax bill is $625K.

All my neighbors are in the same boat, the taxable rate is about $150 - $250k less than what we all actually paid.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

They plan on building an elevated
pedestrian crossing over U.S. 301/Main Street? It may not be waste but it surely isn’t a necessity.

How long has 301 been there without an elevated pedestrian crossing? It appears that the road was built in the 1920s so people have gotten along without the overpass for about 100 years.

I would consider a traffic light might be less expensive.

Paved roads aren't a necessity either. Neither are indoor toilets. Lots of things aren't a "necessity" yet we enjoy them as technology and modernization comes to town. Credit cards aren't a necessity - they could easily go back to cash and checks only.

The road was built in the 1920's to accommodate the population in the 1920's. Over 100 years later, there are at more people living in the community, wouldn't you agree? And those people need to get across the street safely, which was something easy to do back in the 1920's but not so easy now. 301 is a few lanes wider, the intersections are bigger, there are streets there now that didn't exist at all in the 1920's, there's a median barrier that didn't exist in the 1920's.

In fact, in the 1920's in Wildwood Florida, horses, mules, and horse-drawn carriages were still popular modes of transportation outside the densest part of town center. When they were building the Dixie Highway, there were storms so bad they turned the project into mud and sand, and the cars that did get used, kept getting stuck in them - requiring more horses to provide transportation.

Do you want to go back to that? I mean, you can, just not in Wildwood. In Wildwood, there's this fun project they like to call "progress." I know - it's a nasty word around here. But they enjoy catching up. Did you know Walmart FINALLY got tap-n-pay on their card readers? And did you know that after Citizens First was bought out by Seacoast, the replacement debit cards had tap-n-pay capability? How's that for progress! It took a few years but they finally got it done.

[Topspinmo]

Well, IMO they might have to live within budget like most do? But, I sure they find way to keep flow coming especially their 6 figure salary plus for part time job…

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Paved roads aren't a necessity either. Neither are indoor toilets. Lots of things aren't a "necessity" yet we enjoy them as technology and modernization comes to town. Credit cards aren't a necessity - they could easily go back to cash and checks only.

The road was built in the 1920's to accommodate the population in the 1920's. Over 100 years later, there are at more people living in the community, wouldn't you agree? And those people need to get across the street safely, which was something easy to do back in the 1920's but not so easy now. 301 is a few lanes wider, the intersections are bigger, there are streets there now that didn't exist at all in the 1920's, there's a median barrier that didn't exist in the 1920's.

In fact, in the 1920's in Wildwood Florida, horses, mules, and horse-drawn carriages were still popular modes of transportation outside the densest part of town center. When they were building the Dixie Highway, there were storms so bad they turned the project into mud and sand, and the cars that did get used, kept getting stuck in them - requiring more horses to provide transportation.

Do you want to go back to that? I mean, you can, just not in Wildwood. In Wildwood, there's this fun project they like to call "progress." I know - it's a nasty word around here. But they enjoy catching up. Did you know Walmart FINALLY got tap-n-pay on their card readers? And did you know that after Citizens First was bought out by Seacoast, the replacement debit cards had tap-n-pay capability? How's that for progress! It took a few years but they finally got it done.

Some are needy as long on someone else’s dime……

[Mikec041]

Originally Posted by ChuckWBarnhart

This is a case of property taxes being eliminated.
In this case the city owns the public utilities.
Infrastructure and maintenance is being charged as fees.
Utilities that cost these people around $200.00 a month are now paying around $800.00 a month. Often times more than their mortgage or rent.
It's a case of pay me now or pay me later.

This post needs context. You are posting a screen grab from where?