It's a rumor because people want everyone to believe that if they don't get this money the entertainment will stop. Did the developers say that? They didn't get the money for Lake Sumter or Spanish Springs last year and the entertainment continued.

There was entertainment at the squares before the EVER got this money.

Do you not believe the developers will pay for the entertainment? Have they said they will cut out entertainment if they don't get the money?

This isn't like the old commissioners. When EMS gets in, they will all vote. They won't all agree like the present commissioners do. At least three of them will have to agree to make it go.

So... you decide because Oren said he thinks the schools in the south can use this money more than the developers can (yes he did say that) that people should not vote for him and give up all the things EMS wants to do for the community.

The rumor... No entertainment at the squares. Unless the people saying that can show me that the developers won't fund it like they always have, I don't buy into it and neither should you.

It's an election ploy! Nothing more.

The developer advertises entertainment i the squares 365 days a year. NOT the county. Why would the developer not pay for it?

They were given a grant for a couple of years for Brownwood and now for Lake Sumter and suddenly they will hold us hostage? I don't believe it do you?

Do you feel the developers not paying for the entertainment is more important than the schools? If so, maybe that needs to be brought to the table and discussed. That's what the new commissioners will be all about... discussion. Maybe one or all are not thinking this through completely.. .So, you get to talk to them and explain why you feel the way you do and then the commissioners can take that into consideration.

That's an opportunity you will have that we don't have now. We can't talk to our commissioners and we can't discuss. And if they decide something... the vote is ALWAYS 5 to 0.

This is what we have now. This is three different meetings, three different issues.

How the commissioners treat visitors - YouTube

I can tell by the responses that many of you have never been to a BOCC meeting.


Angie takes on Angeliadis - YouTube

This is the first time I was able to talk to a county commissioner at a question and answer.

This is what we have now.... This is why so many have said "vote them out" We just wanted them to put it on the ballot. Ask the people.

Gilpin answers questions in South Sumter - YouTube

Ms. Fox : Sure sounds as if you are running for office ! What will your role be when your EMS Team is at the helm ? Agenda ? Brand New Animal Shelter first and foremost ?

And since you seem to speaking for at least Mr. MIller , how about explaining how his campaign seeking changes to the County Charter will be beneficial to Villagers living in Sumter County ? You know the change which would deny us the right to vote for all 5 Commissioners and instead only one . How is that beneficial to us ?

Oren isn't in this forum

I am speaking as a resident who has been to all the BOCC meetings until COVID for the past four years.

As to the shelter. We are the only County Shelter in Florida that doesn't allow volunteers. Why? If we had volunteers it would save the county a ton of money. People have offered to help in the meetings. We could save more animals and get them back home with volunteers. But then if we had volunteers we would have known about the dog that was recently left in the truck to die with the heat on. We asked for those records from the county three times before we got them all. The first time they said there were NO records. We let them know we KNEW and they started feeding us the records a little at a time. Oh... and a supervisor had to resign or be fired because she refused to sweep it under the rug. Yes! I have the documents to prove all of this.

Or the little dog that fell out of the truck and they denied picking up the dog until it came out there was a camera outside the house that recorded the whole event. They got lucky and the dog was found later.

Or the five dogs that were killed with their surgical collars on one even had an adopter on the way to pick her up. the person who had to kill them had just been promoted and quit because it affected her so much. (Yes, I have the text from her )

We need Shelter Reform at our county shelter. It would save us money and save our pets.

As to reversing One Sumter. Yes, One Sumter needs to go away. We need commissioners who work for us. I wouldn't want residents in Georgia voting for my Governor. If you have ever been to a meeting, you will know the Commissioners don't work for us. Yes, they work for the developers. Understand the villages are represented by the developers, Wildwood is represented by their government, Busnell is represented by their government. The Commissioners should be representing ALL the residents NOT special interest groups.

The Villages has been warned about all the building. About the lack of water for all of us and about the sinkholes. (Oh, and speaking of sinkholes, the employees of The Villages can't call them sinkholes, they have to call them "ground depressions" or "water main breaks"), Maybe there needs to be some checks and balances in our system before any more people lose their homes. I have friends dealing with the "ground depressions" now.. how many more?

As for my roll... I am a resident. And to your point. Who are you? Everyone knows who I am, but most of the people in here have fake names. What is your roll in this? I have to wonder about the lies I'm reading in here. Who are the people spreading them? What do they get out of this? Others need to ask the same. You know who I am. .. who are you?

The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
|
Science

| Smithsonian Magazine

Oh... The plan is NOT to make changes... The plan is to find out what the residents want first. One Sumter needs to be put on the ballot. No one should make that decision without a vote. Don't you agree?

Since the challengers are running as a slate, I reasonably assume that they will vote as a block on the commission and their vote will not be in the interest of the Villagers' benefits. A priority will be a certain "pet project".

You assume wrong. And that's the point of new commissioners! As it stands now, the vote is ALWAYS 5 to 0 and NEVER in the interest of The Villagers. I don't know if you noticed but the incumbents are now running as a block as well. So there is that.

As to the shelter. We are the only County Shelter in Florida that doesn't allow volunteers. Why? If we had volunteers it would save the county a ton of money. People have offered to help in the meetings. We could save more animals and get them back home with volunteers. But then if we had volunteers we would have known about the dog that was recently left in the truck to die with the heat on. We asked for those records from the county three times before we got them all. The first time they said there were NO records. We let them know we KNEW and they started feeding us the records a little at a time. Oh... and a supervisor had to resign or be fired because she refused to sweep it under the rug. Yes! I have the documents to prove all of this.

Or the little dog that fell out of the truck and they denied picking up the dog until it came out there was a camera outside the house that recorded the whole event. They got lucky and the dog was found later.

Or the five dogs that were killed with their surgical collars on one even had an adopter on the way to pick her up. the person who had to kill them had just been promoted and quit because it affected her so much. (Yes, I have the text from her )

We need Shelter Reform at our county shelter. It would save us money and save our pets.


Have you seen the videos I posted in here of how the commissioners treat the residents?

Again, you know who I am, who are you? A commissioner? A developer?

It's time we take our county back Roll back the 25% Tax increase and vote for commissioners who care about US!

I'm not a commissioner or developer. I am a resident who bought a home here to enjoy the available benefits and amenities during my retirement in TV. My goal in life is not to save all unwanted animals. I recognize that the current commissioners sometimes behave rudely to residents who oppose them at board meetings. However, I believe that working with the developer to make The Villages a better place for most of us is in our best interest and in the interest of thousands of employees who support our comfortable retirement lifestyle. Your insinuation that I am a commissioner or developer indicates that at least one of the challengers will also be disrespectful to opposing residents if he is elected to the commission.

That I ask who you are is rude?

As I said, I am speaking as a resident I am not running for office.

Thank you for acknowledging that you understand the commissioners are not kind to the residents.

The commissioners are not in office to work for the developers. They are voted in to work for the residents.

While they could have done nothing about the Hacienda situation , it’s an example of the fact that the developers don’t have our back.

They should have fixed it... but then that wouldn’t have made as much income, would it?

They could have built those apartments anywhere... why there?

The choices were 600 more residents or a parking garage.

Nice

While I agree with most of what you (or he) is saying the quoted comment is VERY difficult to take seriously.

Another Tax increase crap!

Oh, Ms Fox : Things will be soooo much better when you are behind " The Curtin " pulling all of the levers !!!

I think many people are aware who we are really being encouraged to vote for .

Our new Republican Candidates have taken their strategies and tactics right out of the current DNC playbook . They even have an overly- influential media source working very hard to support them in their efforts to turn everything upside down and to your liking .

Your image of " what's fair " , frankly , will work against the most important concern of every Village Resident which is strong and increasing home values .

Should your Team win I will be waiting for all of their excuses as to why they will be unable to roll- back those tax increases that you have used as the basis to get control .

Oh and just curious about something else . Your Team has often pointed out the unwarranted salaries and benefits of the incumbents . Yet , I must have missed their pledge to work for the good of the people as they hand over their compensation to the County . Perhaps they could offer the first year to The Animal Shelter ?! There is nothing preventing them from doing so .

Folks , I see nothing but Chaos ahead if the EMS Team prevails .

Eventually the " New Boss " turns out to be the same as " The Old Boss " and sometimes worse .

Oren Miller is a commissioner for the people. Hearing about the way people feel about this situation, he agrees that if not giving this money to the entertainment department would stop the the entertainment on the square... by all means, they should get the funds. He said his intention was NOT to "defund" the entertainment on the square, he just felt that there could have been better venues to spend the money.

Oren Miller is not in this forum and this is why I have to reply. He gives you his word, he will vote for what the PEOPLE want.

Gotcha. Thanks for the clear explanation. :) Bottom line is you are of course correct my county taxes did increase by 25% (~$125) which is 1 mid-priced ticket at Sharon Center when it was opened. I can live with it and after NJ it's a bargain as we had a $3000 increase 1 year (2015). Of course no one likes taxes going up but for $125 I won't "make a federal case" out of it (but they better finish paving Morse at O'Dell Circle by Mallory CC for my $125!).

How the current commissioners treat the residents

How the commissioners treat visitors - YouTube


Oren Miller will listen.

I agree with this. Those attempting to unseat the incumbants have made it clear that they intend to oppose (dare I say stifle) the plans of the developer. All the "for the people" talk is election rhetoric.

Why does George Orwell's Animal Farm seem to come to mind when I think of this election?

Sumter County is not all of TV. Those of us in the other two counties are concerned about this whole "revolution" in Sumter that could decrease the value of our investment here. But the "revolutionaries" don't care about that, I'll bet.