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.