[bopat]

I often see the big fire trucks responding to calls and I wonder why such a big truck is going out? Is there some huge building on fire? Or is it something that requires so many supplies or people that can only be housed in a huge fire truck?

I wonder if they have smaller trucks they can send out, smaller trucks might be more agile and a lot more economical.

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by bopat

I often see the big fire trucks responding to calls and I wonder why such a big truck is going out? Is there some huge building on fire? Or is it something that requires so many supplies or people that can only be housed in a huge fire truck?

I wonder if they have smaller trucks they can send out, smaller trucks might be more agile and a lot more economical.

it’s quite normal to send an engine with an ambulance on a medical call. It provides extra manpower to transfer a patient. Also it’s common that an engine is available when an ambulance isn’t. All engines in The Villages have Paramedics. They can start treating a patient and wait for the ambulance if transport is required. This is standard procedure across much of the country.

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

it’s quite normal to send an engine with an ambulance on a medical call. It provides extra manpower to transfer a patient. Also it’s common that an engine is available when an ambulance isn’t. All engines in The Villages have Paramedics. They can start treating a patient and wait for the ambulance if transport is required. This is standard procedure across much of the country.

Besides, if you don't have a big engine along to make the big puddles, then Nozzle-heads can't dance around in the puddles like they enjoy when they're not grocery shopping, sleeping, cooking, or watching bass fishing on ESPN in those nice recliners. ;-)

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

Besides, if you don't have a big engine along to make the big puddles, then Nozzle-heads can't dance around in the puddles like they enjoy when they're not grocery shopping, sleeping, cooking, or watching bass fishing on ESPN in those nice recliners. ;-)

“Disliked”

[GoRedSox!]

I believe the fee is eminently reasonable, and the discussion around this was that some of the increased fee is going to come back in the form of lower property taxes. The reason I think the fee is so reasonable is that as a snowbird, I just paid our fire tax here in CT, and it was $361 for a volunteer fire department. I understand that is not relevant to the fee in Florida, but it is a matter of context for some who are paying much higher fees outside of the Villages. A volunteer fire department doesn't have paid employees and still it's more than the fee in The Villages.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Well, the BoCC proved me wrong! The proposed budget, available from the minutes of the recent working group, shows the property tax remaining the same as this year PLUS the MSTU for TVPSDDD PLUS the increased MSBU. My effective tax rate will be going up, even in an election year!

...

I need to spend time calculating what my effective property tax increase is going to be.

If I have misstated something above or appear to be misunderstanding anything, please let me know.


EDIT: It seems there will be a POA meeting tonight where the County Administrator will discuss the 24-25 budget. He will not be able to talk about the TVPSDDD budget but he SHOULD be able to explain why ALS Readiness in 24-25 will cost more than 50% of what ALL fire protection plus ALS cost in 23-24 AND why fire protection costs were reduced by $16M yet property tax rates were not able to be decreased below the rollback rate.

Still checking the math and really need the 2024 TRIM to be completely accurate but it looks like:
- My payment for fire protection (including ambulance) will increase 17%
- My payment for non-fire protection will increase 10%
- My overall effective property tax rate will be 13% above the rollback rate.

So for me, a 13% tax increase will be passed off as, "a net change of -.2728 mills (5.26% reduction) from FY 23/24 to FY 24/25."

This will be on my mind in August (corrected this per post below).

[kansasr]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Still checking the math and really need the 2024 TRIM to be completely accurate but it looks like:
- My payment for fire protection (including ambulance) will increase 17%
- My payment for non-fire protection will increase 10%
- My overall effective property tax rate will be 13% above the rollback rate.

So for me, a 13% tax increase will be passed off as, "a net change of -.2728 mills (5.26% reduction) from FY 23/24 to FY 24/25."

This will be on my mind in October.

It needs to be on your mind when you're voting for county commissioners in the August primary.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by kansasr

It needs to be on your mind when you're voting for county commissioners in the August primary.

Hmmmm

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by bopat

I often see the big fire trucks responding to calls and I wonder why such a big truck is going out? Is there some huge building on fire? Or is it something that requires so many supplies or people that can only be housed in a huge fire truck?

I wonder if they have smaller trucks they can send out, smaller trucks might be more agile and a lot more economical.

If the crew came in a smaller truck and there was another emergency calling for the bigger engine, the crew would have to return to the station, wasting what could be precious minutes, to change vehicles.

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by bsloan1960

I'm amused at people's misdirected irritation with SS and pensions. If you work for a living you pay a TAX on every paycheck- that TAX is called Social Security. Over your working life you pay in Much More than you collect in retirement. Now, as for pensions. Pensions are offered by employers to make their jobs more attractive to workers and as an incentive to stay at that job long term. Most pensions are self-funded (from My Pay Check), as well as an employers contributions over time.

In my particular case, my Social Security and Pension combined provide me with less than Half of what I was paid while working. I just realized I'm wasting my time explaining what should be common sense to someone addicted to criticizing people, and in this case criticizing people living on money that They Earned- who, like everyone else, including the criticizer, want the most value for their money.

So many people are just rude, crude, and.or completely self-absorbed. It's an unfortunate part of "human nature". Many, certainly not all, become even more critical, unaware, or even down right nasty, as they continue to age. Why ? Who knows ? My parents always said, "it doesn't cost one cent more to say something nice or give a compliment, than to say something cruel, nasty, or self-serving. Personally, I think the whole specter of internet "communication" has done much to enrich our culture, but has also really encouraged the dark side of the personality of so many... wishing people to "die", to commit suicide, some just showing envy, some showing such a huge lack of understanding of others.... it goes on an on. To not understand that many folks have only the income from S.S., and THANK YOU for pointing out that S.S. simply money people EARNED that was forcefully taken from them with the promise to "give it back later when you are retired". In many ways, it's a means of telling people they are not capable of saving and investing for their own future, so, for a "fee", the government will do this for them. The thinking there is; many people are not capable, or motivated, to save for their own future, so it's necessary to make saving mandatory. Just not necessary to make disparaging remarks about people who are now struggling financially. And thank you for pointing out a "pension" (in most cases) is also money people earn but chose not to take in the hope that it will multiply to a greater amount in the future.

[Normal]

Originally Posted by kansasr

It needs to be on your mind when you're voting for county commissioners in the August primary.

Yes, there is a “meet the candidate” meeting tomorrow at Everglades Recreation at 7PM.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by Normal

Yes, there is a “meet the candidate” meeting tomorrow at Everglades Recreation at 7PM.

Up north. Will you be attending? Maybe report out...attendance, dialogue etc

[Normal]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

Up north. Will you be attending? Maybe report out...attendance, dialogue etc

Yep, no problem

[kansasr]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

Up north. Will you be attending? Maybe report out...attendance, dialogue etc

The meeting on the 16th at 7 pm at Laurel Manor will feature Bradley Arnold and the 24-25 budget....another opportunity to get questions answered about the new fire levy.

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by bsloan1960

Over your working life you pay in Much More than you collect in retirement.

Most pensions are self-funded (from My Pay Check), as well as an employers contributions over time.

A couple of points I think you misspoke.

Statistically most of us get back more than we pay in. That said if we saved just our half of the ss contribution (6%) and invested it we would end up with 2 to 3 times what we typically collect.

My pension was fully funded by my employer.

My 401 was partially matched by my employer but the vast majority was my sole contribution.

It's pretty rare to have both a pension and matching 401, I was lucky. In today's employment world a traditional pension is all but gone. I worry for future workers. I'm happy to be able to start my family with a good headstart.