[Goldwingnut]

OK, my detailed explanation was a little long and confusing for some, here’s the short version.

An independent fire district for The Villages will allow residents to have better control over the services to be provided by VPSD without having to go through the county for funding.

Sumter County is working to determine the total cost of both fire departments in the county general fund budget. This will be removed from next year’s budget and the property tax millage rate will be reduced accordingly. This prevents double taxing for the same services.

Both fire districts will then establish a Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) and add that to your county tax bill.

Both fire departments currently have similar sized budgets. Each budget will be paid only by the residents the departments serve. SCFD services about 20% of the county proprieties and VPSD services about 80% of the properties. Based on similar budgets and the split of the properties it is safe to assume that the total tax bill for VPSD served customers would decrease significantly and those served by SCFD will see a significant increase in total tax bill.

Villages district staff can’t predict with the county will do so they won’t commit to the final tax bill impact. Sumter County is working to fully identify all shared service costs that must be included in the SCFD budget and cannot make a millage rate commitment until the end of year property values and millage rates are determined in June 2023.

That’s the summary in just over 200 words. Hope it helps.

Here’s the long version - Independent Fire District Cost Impact Information

[Babubhat]

Excellent. Thank you

[Goldwingnut]

The one thing I forgot to say is that in the election, not a single candidate has a say in making this happen or not, beyond a vote on the referendum as a resident (if they are one) on the November 8th referendum the same as every other resident. If the IFD happens or not, we still must deal with it all the same.

[TrapX]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

Sumter County is working to determine the total cost of both fire departments in the county general fund budget. This will be removed from next year’s budget and the property tax millage rate will be reduced accordingly. This prevents double taxing for the same services.

Please provide proof of that conclusion.
Looking for written documentation that refutes the published 2023 budget that includes no reduction in TV taxes if the new district is formed.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by TrapX

Please provide proof of that conclusion.
Looking for written documentation that refutes the published 2023 budget that includes no reduction in TV taxes if the new district is formed.

The new district won't be functional until October 1, 2023 which will be part of the 2024 budget. The 2023 budget needs to fund the existing structure.

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by TrapX

Please provide proof of that conclusion.
Looking for written documentation that refutes the published 2023 budget that includes no reduction in TV taxes if the new district is formed.

The 2022-2023 budget is unaffected by the IFD formation, the IFD would not happen until 1 October 2023 and would be in the 2023-2024 budget. If you look at the proforma budget for 23-24 (https://sumterclerk.granicus.com/Gen...2&clip_id=1723) you will see the decrease. These numbers are still preliminary and won't be finalized until mid-2023, the percentage change from the preliminary numbers should be small so these give you a pretty good starting point for what we will see.

[njbchbum]

How is this impacting the residents of Country Club Hills. Orange Blossom Gardens and Silver Lake? Will they be in a Fire District? Who will provide fire and ambulance service in those Villages? Thanks for any response.

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

How is this impacting the residents of Country Club Hills. Orange Blossom Gardens and Silver Lake? Will they be in a Fire District? Who will provide fire and ambulance service in those Villages? Thanks for any response.

The Lake and Marion County portions of The Villages will continue to receive fire service from their current providers, this only affects the Sumter County section of The Villages. Mutual aid and similar agreements are being worked out between the counties and VPSD/IFD in anticipation of the referendum being passed and the IFD being implemented next year. You will likely not see any differences.

[kansasr]

Attached is a map showing the proposed district.......