It’s on the county website
 

Just go to Meetings, Agendas, and Minutes | Sumter County, FL - Official Website

The budget workshop was just done last month.

Wow, $.88 per day. The end of civilization as we know it.

Sorry about your experience but so happy to hear at least the delay did not turn tragic given your condition. BUT, raising amenity fees AGAIN, seems after years of reasonable incremental increases in all areas, taxes, fees, water and other utilities, waste pick-up, etc. etc., it's just accelerating at a rate most villagers can't shoulder. May be a range of causes, most of which are mentioned with regularity on this sight: growing greed of each generation of the founding family, moving so far from the original developer's "dream" of an exceptional retirement for people of very humble, average, means, the original "where every man can belong to a country club and live like a king", the political savagery that grew with the growing population in a once mild and peaceful political environment, the growing diversity of the population, and just too many factors that have developed that have changed the community over the years. Not surprising that so many issues, including crime, radical changes in what is allowed in regard to renting (I can still remember the LIST of items that MUST be in your home IF you rent it, and how tightly all renting was controlled. But growth has made that impossible, made pool attendants at EVERY pool impossible now, so many surrounding governments competing for every dollar, it's not what it used to be, we who have been here 15, 20, and more years know that. But, where it is all going to "end", if it does "end", is unknown. Some have said for several years now it's ripe to go "bust" completely, others are more optimistic even if prices have been on a downward course from the highs. I sometime wonder if a complete change in local county government would help ? Would changing long time sheriff's turn the tide of crime, speeding, daily auto accidents, auto plunging into street lights and through concrete courtyard walls... and very seldom involving seniors, most in their 20's and seem to always "flee" on foot after these 2 and 3 a.m. accidents.This is not the sleepy, friendly little village anymore, but nothing stays the same, that's the trouble with most seniors, we often wish things could be "like they used to be", I can remember my grandmother saying that very thing when our small town of just under 20K in far south Florida, grew to 40K with all the "strangers" moving in... LOL !

True when you look at it in isolation. I would agree. But what most of us miss, I think, is seeing EACH financial item in our lives, food, gasoline, price of tires, insurance premiums, property taxes, even the price of a pair of shoes, in an isolated frame. Oh, gosh, milk has gone up 65% and eggs have increased 200% percent. Taxes "only" rose 20%, and fire or ambulance service only increased by $.88 per day. Then suddenly, as a retired relative of ours said a week ago, "SUDDENLY" you realize that it's all going over the cliff. No matter how careful you are with your S.S., or your retirement pension (if you have one), or with your savings (if you've managed to have that in addition to S.S. or a pension from a job, the light bulb comes on, you realize it's NOT the $.88 per day X 365, it's ALL the $.88 per day X every item in your life, from food, to clothing to new shingles or new shoes. When people say, it's ONLY $.88 more per day, less than $320.00, they are engaging in very short sighted thinking, and for most people that can be tragic. Most seniors have no way to work more hours, increase their income, obtain raises and promotions. The present economic picture is not a happy one for many of us for sure.

The point is that for $0.88 you can spend more wisely or you can throw money away for nothing but lining pockets.
For example, two gas stations are next to each other. You can buy gas at either. One will be twice as expensive as the other. So you pick the lower price one. Smart spending generates savings. What can be done with the savings when scaled up to multi million dollar budgets? Lower taxes is one option. Buy more ambulances is another option. Hire more firefighters is also an option.

My opinion is that money is not being spent responsibly. The transparent accounting is not being shown, if it even happens. A deep line item audit on all spending is lacking. Nobody cares how much is being spent when nobody is held accountable.

Villages only!
 

Or all of Sumter County?

In my view, it’s extremely easy. Perhaps I’m dumping things down too much, but I hate playing shell games. When I get my annual tax bill, I will pull out last years bill. I will then compare the check I wrote last year with the amount I have to write this year, and calculate the percentage difference. I prefer to focus on the bottom line, not a bunch of transparency clouding noise.

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 haven't gone through an analysis yet but what I see so far is

• - The property tax rate is being set at the rollback rate - this is defined by Florida as neither a tax increase nor a tax decrease
• - Transfers for fire protection drop from $35M in 23-24 to $19M in 24-25 - a $16M decrease in expenditures with 0% decrease in property tax rate
• - The TVPSDDD MSTU of 0.0272 mills will be added resulting in a property tax INCREASE
• - We already know (the subject of this thread) that the MSBU will be increased from $125 to $321 - a fee increase
• - A transfer of $12M to TVPSDDD will cover ALS Readiness - legally, this was not allowed to be covered by the new MSBU
• - The amount transferred this year to cover ALL TVPSD services including ALS was $20M
• - The TVPSDDD report that calculated the $321 MSBU showed funding for fire protection only (no ALS) at $25M/year

Putting the last few together, it looks like the TVPSD was able to function and provide ambulance service in the 23-24 year for $20M. However, when the TVSPDDD stands up in 24-25 it will need $37M to provide the same services.

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.

They like to spend
 

You expect a cut or rollback? They gave employees a raise. Additionally, expect Wildwood to increase our taxes too. The new sewage plant isn’t free. It isn’t funded by bonds like The Villages section was.

This reminds me of a favorite ‘municipal finance’ joke (paraphrasing); “For every tax issue encountered, there is a solution that is straightforward, uncomplicated.....and wrong”! :1rotfl:

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.

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”

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.

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).

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

Hmmmm

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.

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.

Yes it Will
 

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

Sure
 

Yep, no problem

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.

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.

Most....is the keyword here
In my world, most have either employer or state/municipal funded pensions....invest in 401K or Roth and additionally, own real estate (rental properties). The latter acting as its own retirement cushion. But those decisions were made years ago with the benefit of foresight....knowing /fearing a bubble burst at some point in our lifetime. SS was always looked at as the slush fund (golf, eating out, road trips etc). A lot of luck and being at the right place at the right time....and being an active participant...not a spectator was the key. Easier path back then than it is now!

When ROTH came around I wish they'd have explained them a little better/different. It was put to us that your tax situation at the time vs when you withdraw was the primary consideration for traditional vs ROTH. Looking back I wish someone would have asked me if I'd rather pay tax on the seed or the harvest. The tax rate means nothing when you add in years of compound earnings. I'd happily go back and pay tax at the time of earning vs paying it on all these years of growth. Still a pretty sweet deal.

We always yielded to our more knowledgeable elders at the time...institutional knowledge for lack of a better term

This is the video of the ‘Candidates Meeting’ held on 7/18 ....hopefully informative to Sumter residents....


https://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...DqgYplVKAzEkct

Sometimes, our lack of comprehension is clouded by the uncertainty of the future. The future is always uncertain. The concept of retirement and playing a villages camper with a bazillion activities was unimaginable to me even up to as little as 5 years ago, even after we bought the house and we were still working.

At one point in my life because i worked in a dangerous industry and knew college classmates who had perished, I didn't think i would live past 30 years old if i continued

The battle for your money is constant:
1) the government taking taxes
2) the investment industry always hawking future spending requiring millions, hoping for investment dollars starting at birth (college funds, then downpayment funds, then retirement funds)
3) the leisure and entertainment industries wanting you to spend money today, especially on credit.

All that while trying to keep your job and trying to get promoted or improve your income.

I have met people who were forced to retire and had no idea what to do or where to live.

401K / IRA for the successful is fine on top of SS or other pension. If you don't need the extra money, just keep on investing it for income in a taxable account. You never know when you will need the money to continue to live independently.

good luck. . we couldn't invest in a ROTH due to income limitations as well as employer offerings were limited for 401ks. NTW, my mom at 97 has exhausted her IRA moneys, so now all income is essentially tax free . . .

AED locations
 

I spoke directly to the person at the CDD responsible for managing the network of AEDs

There are over 900 AEDs in The Villages that are maintained through a network of volunteers and experts.

SO WHEN YOU CALL 911
that network is notified and a local person will unlock your nearby AED and bring it to your house .... Possibly even before the ambulance arrives.