[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by allsport

You will be taxed for both, they will never give that 500 back to you, that is the county money and the other is the villages. Neither are related.

That is not the way it works.

Quick explanation:
- The county pays for all fire protection today
- The VPSDDD will now assess homeowners and pay for fire protection in 2024-2025 and beyond
- The county is working to create a MSBU to fund the SCFEMS as well
- This will remove fire protection costs from the county budget
- The county commissioners can do anything within reason with the millage rate but in future budgets they CANNOT claim it is for fire protection

As for never giving that back, if your crystal ball is that good would you please post next week's winning lottery numbers?

[Normal]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

That is not the way it works.

Quick explanation:
- The county pays for all fire protection today
- The VPSDDD will now assess homeowners and pay for fire protection in 2024-2025 and beyond
- The county is working to create a MSBU to fund the SCFEMS as well
- This will remove fire protection costs from the county budget
- The county commissioners can do anything within reason with the millage rate but in future budgets they CANNOT claim it is for fire protection

As for never giving that back, if your crystal ball is that good would you please post next week's winning lottery numbers?

Hmmm
It looks like Wildwood will finally get their own fire department? Maybe things will work just like Fruitland Park and Leesburg sections of the Villages. Perhaps unincorporated can pay their own fees for fire. Then all will be good.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Normal

Hmmm
It looks like Wildwood will finally get their own fire department? Maybe things will work just like Fruitland Park and Leesburg sections of the Villages. Perhaps unincorporated can pay their own fees for fire. Then all will be good.

Wildwood, Florida does not have their own fire department and will not in the foreseeable future.

I haven't looked at how Fruitland Park and Leesburg sections of the Villages work but I imagine all sections will work very similarly.

Unincorporated has always paid their own fees for fire protection and will continue to do so.

PLEASE take time to look at the County and City budgets and learn where your various taxes are being spent.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by Normal

Hmmm
It looks like Wildwood will finally get their own fire department? Maybe things will work just like Fruitland Park and Leesburg sections of the Villages. Perhaps unincorporated can pay their own fees for fire. Then all will be good.

Yeah....pretty sure they are still Sumter County Fire and EMS

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

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.

Yes and no. Yes we have to pay for it, but that is irrelevant between taxes and frees.

The question is:
Single bill for politicians divvy up as spending?
OR
Activity based billing for specific activities and beneficiaries?

The activity based is more specific and targeted, and less subject to politicians’ whims and their purchasers.

The downside is feeling nickeled and domed to death, but it’s more transparent and fair.

1$ per day for something you need when you need it is not outrageous currently. The property tax spending is much more insidious

[kcrazorbackfan]

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!

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

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by kcrazorbackfan

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

[mtdjed]

Originally Posted by dougjb

the members of that committee just vote the way the developer wants them too. Thus, a huge increase in fire assessments with no decrease in the taxes. Works out well for the developer...not so good for us. The members of that committee are elected. They can be turned out.

How much of an increase are you seeing? Prior posters have explained that the fire assessments are included in your current tax bill. That portion of your tax bill will be dropped and instead be an itemized fee. Let's assume that the stated 1.3% millage rate for fire assessment is correct. Then you look up your assessed value. If you got a notice that the maximum assessment is $320.71, I believe your break-even point is an assessed value of $250,000. If your assessed value is greater, you are happy. If lower, you will pay some amount more.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by kcrazorbackfan

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

Never let the facts get in the way ;-)

[Gettingoutofdodge]

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!

They lost in the general election. They lost in the community vote at Everglades last year. So then the Commissioners created a new governing board and gave them the power to raise the fire assessment. They will also raise the mil value on a part of our taxes. I read the document and it’s very confusing. The new areas all need fire houses. The developer will build them and then lease them back to us.

On a side note, on May 5 I went to the UHF emergency room on 44. I had a septic knee from a cortisone shot I had on May 1st. I waited from 7PM for an ambulance to take me to the Village Hospital. None came. An ambulance came from Orlando to take me to the hospital. I got admitted at 1 am. My nurse was waiting at my room for me.
So when I needed a Village Ambulance for transport to the Villages Hospital, none was available to me! Why?
I was in the Village Hospital 5 days and it was an amazing experience, 4th floor, observation. They were all amazing as was the medical care. I didn’t want to go there, but so glad that I did.
Back to topic. There is a meeting on this in June. If I am better, I will go. Everyone should go and voice their opinion’s. They are also planning to raise the Ammenity fees again.
I love the Villages, but it’s time to stop them from using us as an ATM machine.

[G.R.I.T.S.]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

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

Seven minutes for us and that was on a Saturday morning of a holiday weekend.

[crash]

Originally Posted by Kallbox

You play for what you get. The Villages Public Safety now has Fire Rescue which will save lives unlike AMR ambulance service. I will gladly pay for our first responders!

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.

[Remembergoldenrule]

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!

No, thanks to the genius voters who voted to let Sumter County control the fire stations in the Villages instead of voting for our own district.

[jim@jedward.com]

I'm in District 13. My Fire Assessment went from $125/yr to $321/yr, a 256% increase. What the....?

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by jim@jedward.com

I'm in District 13. My Fire Assessment went from $125/yr to $321/yr, a 256% increase. What the....?

But THEORETICALLY, your county tax will go down by the same amount. However, I wouldn't hold my breath. This is the direct result of the voter's decision based on a misinformation campaign last year not to create an independent fire district, so now the county has control of our services, and fire budget.