[Girlcopper]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

In that case I am confused by your comment since the information on page 16 of the presentation shows an expected fee of $333. Your $320 is less than what you were told during the presentation.

You’re right. Seems the OP is the uninformed or confused one

[bowlingal]

there is a meeting about this on June 12 at 1:00 PM at the Savannah Center. BE THERE!!!!

[crash]

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!

We voted for the county to take over ambulance service they have 12 ambulances under AMR we had three. We voted no for the independent district because it would raise our fee and then let them put in the dependent district which is the same thing after we screamed that they cut service because the county cut funding. So what did you expect the budget is 23 million and it is not going to come from your property taxes. We want the service but we don’t want to pay for it. Sorry it doesn’t work that way. $300 a year for fire service isn’t bad and won’t kill you but no service just might.

Part of what you paid before was in your property taxes which is no longer funding the Fire Dept. but will probably go to pay for the roads. I am sure the commissioners will say they have cut your property taxes and not include the new fee in that because it is not a tax but a fee. Kind of like a magician don’t look what my left hand is doing only look at the right.

[crash]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

And, if you (or your loved one) are having a cardiac incident, fast ambulance response, not 30 minutes.

Ambulance service is not part of that fee that is still funded by the county and the $550 fee for a trip to the hospital. This fee just covers fire protection.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by crash

We voted for the county to take over ambulance service they have 12 ambulances under AMR we had three. We voted no for the independent district because it would raise our fee and then let them put in the dependent district which is the same thing after we screamed that they cut service because the county cut funding. So what did you expect the budget is 23 million and it is not going to come from your property taxes. We want the service but we don’t want to pay for it. Sorry it doesn’t work that way. $300 a year for fire service isn’t bad and won’t kill you but no service just might.

Part of what you paid before was in your property taxes which is no longer funding the Fire Dept. but will probably go to pay for the roads. I am sure the commissioners will say they have cut your property taxes and not include the new fee in that because it is not a tax but a fee. Kind of like a magician don’t look what my left hand is doing only look at the right.

To your point....when will people realize ‘tax’ or ‘fees’ is semantics. It makes people feel good that are from ‘tax free’ states to hear fee vs taxes. In my wallet, it’s all the same thing.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by crash

...
Part of what you paid before was in your property taxes which is no longer funding the Fire Dept. but will probably go to pay for the roads. I am sure the commissioners will say they have cut your property taxes and not include the new fee in that because it is not a tax but a fee. Kind of like a magician don’t look what my left hand is doing only look at the right.

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.

[john352]

Originally Posted by DrMack

Sorry it cant be, but nice try. The assessment can’t legally be raised by more than 3%. It’s Florida law. If a tax is based on a property parcel number, the tax can’t be raised by more than 3% per year.

“ Moreover, Florida law stipulates that the total amount of property taxes collected by each taxing authority cannot increase by more than 3% or the inflation rate, whichever is lesser, unless voters approve an increase.”

The 3% limit ONLY applies to the "ASSESED VALUE" of your homestead property in the Ad Valorem portion of your tax bill. It does not apply to the "MILLAGE RATE" or any of the "NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENTS". In 2019, the Sumter County millage rate was legally increased by 25%.

[Shipping up to Boston]

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.

The very definition of a shell game. At least you acknowledge such

[john352]

Originally Posted by crash

Ambulance service is not part of that fee that is still funded by the county and the $550 fee for a trip to the hospital. This fee just covers fire protection.

Ambulance Transport is not part of the fee. If you call 911 and an ambulance comes to your home and Transport is not needed, then there is no charge; most of the Villages fire department's responses don't require transport.

[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by Gpsma

Oh you poor villager…expecting nothing to increase..saying you live on a fixed income…all the while collecting social security and maybe a pension while living in a half a million housr

Cry me a river

Inappropriate post by an unhappy person.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

The very definition of a shell game. At least you acknowledge such

I tried but I cannot find that definition when I search on "shell game." I certainly do not acknowledge that there is any "shell game" going on.

If the implication is that funding sources are being manipulated to disguise or hide anything then this seems to achieve exactly the opposite. Rather than having the fire protection costs buried in the overall budget they are being separated and made more clear. Reducing the number of items in the budget will make the budge even easier to understand. If additional expenses are added to the budget they will have a larger impact now that the fire protection costs have been removed and will be easier to identify. Listing the fire protection costs in a separate line item does not hide them, it makes them easier to see and understand.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

I tried but I cannot find that definition when I search on "shell game." I certainly do not acknowledge that there is any "shell game" going on.

If the implication is that funding sources are being manipulated to disguise or hide anything then this seems to achieve exactly the opposite. Rather than having the fire protection costs buried in the overall budget they are being separated and made more clear. Reducing the number of items in the budget will make the budge even easier to understand. If additional expenses are added to the budget they will have a larger impact now that the fire protection costs have been removed and will be easier to identify. Listing the fire protection costs in a separate line item does not hide them, it makes them easier to see and understand.

Not everything in life is determined by a Google search...

“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.”

That’s what I based my ‘shell game’ response on.

[JGibson]

Wasn't AMR just EMT's and TVFD are paramedics.

If so the service would be an upgrade.

[Normal]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

Not everything in life is determined by a Google search...

“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.”

That’s what I based my ‘shell game’ response on.

I don’t think the bill for fire protection is atrocious if a total aggregated bill was itemized and this was a subsection of the bill. You are talking about a different game though if you are drawn in as a Wildwood resident. Wildwood residents already pay a lot for nothing. We aren’t the unincorporated section already freeloading for police off of everybody’s sheriff department.

[Bilyclub]

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.

The one member of the county board who stated we wouldn't also be paying for Sumter County Fire is no longer on the board. We shall see. I wouldn't count on them doing us right.