[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by crash

The fire fee does not cover ambulance service just fire. The ambulance service is stilled paid for from your property taxes. The fire fee raises $23 million for fire protection the budget for the fire department is $53 million.

This is incorrect.

The VPSD request for 2023 to cover both fire and ambulance was $34M. The budget for the VPSDDD for 2024 is not $53M and even if the ambulance was separated, it would not be an additional $20M on top of the VPSDDD.

$53M is close to the $60M request for both VPSD and SCFEMS combined. The VPSDDD budget will only cover services within the Villages area. A separate MSBU is being worked on to cover SCFEMS expenses.
[EDIT: The VPSD proposed budget for this year was $47M. However, only $34M was to come from the county and only $20M was ultimately approved. This $20M is a very close match to the $19M to be collected through the VPSDDD assessment next year.]

"Ambulance service" includes EMS and advanced life support (ALS) transport. I believe the EMS functions can be funded through the dependent district. The only portion of "ambulance service" that cannot be funded through the district is the ALS transport. I believe those expenses will be covered by the transport fee (someone quoted $550). But this would be a great question to take to the VPSDDD meeting or the Sumter County BoCC meeting.

[Ptmcbriz]

If that’s what it takes for a modern expanded services for emergency response $0.80/per day is the cheapest insurance I’ve ever heard. I will gladly pay it to bring our updated services.

[cahvillage]

I just received my notice and it didn't double...In our neighborhood, the fire rescue has been in here a lot and they arrive within 5 minutes. It is worth paying a little more to have them show up quickly and maybe save somebody's life....

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by kcrazorbackfan

Wow! Stepped into a pile of 💩 with that post, didn’t you?

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

Hmmmm. Less than a dollar a day for fire and ambulance service. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that was unreasonable.

I'm with you on this one. Super cheap insurance, especially for a place packed with old folks.

[DrMack]

Originally Posted by LeRoySmith

I'm with you on this one. Super cheap insurance, especially for a place packed with old folks.

You used the words cheap insurance in the same sentence in Florida. We just got our statement for renewal adjustment. Our rates have more than doubled again! Yes, twice in a row. Progressive is out for us.

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by DrMack

You used the words cheap insurance in the same sentence in Florida. We just got our statement for renewal adjustment. Our rates have more than doubled again! Yes, twice in a row. Progressive is out for us.

That was a big oversight on my part, you're correct it seems insurance is pretty pricy here.

Overall I'd say I'm doing pretty good with State Farm but the cart insurance was a lot higher than I thought it would be, PLUP too. The overall package I get with them seems fair given I live in a place where mutha nature is angry a lot and many of my fellow citizens are very litigious.

[jmaccallum]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

It will be important to see that the Sumter County Commissioners reduce the millage rate by the 1.3mills that covered fire protection this year. If the cost of fire protection is removed from the budget then property taxes can be lowered by that amount. If that happens, if the 1.3mills are removed, then my overall taxes will be reduced by almost $200.

My expectation is that the property tax rate will be reduced but not by the full 1.3mills. I will still be saving money on fire protection but I will be paying more for some additional service in the county. Then again, this is an election year.

Exactly! IF there is no reduction or less than a reduction of 1.3 mills, then we are all paying more $$’s. $195 more at least ($320 - $125 = $195) PLUS the ad velorum portion that ranged from $300 to $400 out of property taxes - that we have been paying all along. If there is No change by the Commissioners, you could say we will be paying upwards of $600 plus for Fire Protection. Or as someone else said, we will be paying $320 plus for Fire Protection and now more $$’s - that we have already been paying - for whatever else they decide to spend that ad volorum on, as it isn’t supposedly going to Fire Protection anymore.

The reality, as far as Cash Flow - at this point anyway - is that we all will be paying at least $195 more - when we stroke our checks in November.

I’m all for good Fire Protection and sure it has to be paid for, but I don’t appreciate the “Dog and Pony Show” and the “Breathing Fire into Numbers” from both the Commission Meetings and the DistrictGov.org. Any “Savings” at this point is a Pipe Dream. We’ll see what the Commissioners do…

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by jmaccallum

Exactly! IF there is no reduction or less than a reduction of 1.3 mills, then we are all paying more $$’s. $195 more at least ($320 - $125 = $195) PLUS the ad velorum portion that ranged from $300 to $400 out of property taxes - that we have been paying all along. If there is No change by the Commissioners, you could say we will be paying upwards of $600 plus for Fire Protection. Or as someone else said, we will be paying $320 plus for Fire Protection and now more $$’s - that we have already been paying - for whatever else they decide to spend that ad volorum on, as it isn’t supposedly going to Fire Protection anymore.

The reality, as far as Cash Flow - at this point anyway - is that we all will be paying at least $195 more - when we stroke our checks in November.

I’m all for good Fire Protection and sure it has to be paid for, but I don’t appreciate the “Dog and Pony Show” and the “Breathing Fire into Numbers” from both the Commission Meetings and the DistrictGov.org. Any “Savings” at this point is a Pipe Dream. We’ll see what the Commissioners do…

We *were* all paying $125 + 1.3mills for fire protection (= $530 in my case)
We *will* be paying $320.71 + 0.03mills estimated for fire protection (= $330 in my case)

We will be paying $0 for fire protection through the county budget. If there is no change by the commissioners I will say that they increased my taxes by at least 1.3mills to pay for even more county services. I don't know yet if I will agree with the services or not, but they will NOT be fire protection services.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by DrMack

You used the words cheap insurance in the same sentence in Florida. We just got our statement for renewal adjustment. Our rates have more than doubled again! Yes, twice in a row. Progressive is out for us.

Our renewal was $648 in February $41 less than last year. So pretty happy, however we are awaiting the cost for endorsements for the pool we just added, so will definitely see an increase

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by LeRoySmith

I'm with you on this one. Super cheap insurance, especially for a place packed with old folks.

And a place with very frequent lightning strikes too

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Normal

Thanks to some genius politicians, we received our new Fire assessment fee statement for 2024-25.

320.71

Heads need to roll!

Almost doubling the Fire assessment fee is their answer while we get statements from them like, “We are flush with cash.”

Um yah, no wonder!

Maybe I missed it, any plans to issue a correction to your post?

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

We *were* all paying $125 + 1.3mills for fire protection (= $530 in my case)
We *will* be paying $320.71 + 0.03mills estimated for fire protection (= $330 in my case)

We will be paying $0 for fire protection through the county budget. If there is no change by the commissioners I will say that they increased my taxes by at least 1.3mills to pay for even more county services. I don't know yet if I will agree with the services or not, but they will NOT be fire protection services.

Thanks for staying focused on the facts.

[Maker]

I was told at a recent "meet your officials" event that the new fire station on Warm Springs was budgeted to cost $8 million for the building, not including equipment. If this is the normal way of doing things, there is a lot of low hanging fruit ripe for saving money.
Where is the committee for identifying cost savings?
Spending that huge amount of money does not make sense. That's enough to easily build 12 luxury houses. That's 24 car garages and room for 12 golf carts. 12 kitchens, 36 bedrooms, 24 showers.
Smarter spending would get a whole lot more for a lot less money.
Why did they decide to build it for that amount???

[tophcfa]

Just received mine in the mail, ouch. However, I’ll reserve final judgement until I see the tax bill in its entirety and see how things net out? I hate shell games.