[QUOTE=blueash;614404]I may have bad information, but I have been told that the developer collects a percentage of all sales in the squares. I

That is how business is run in certain areas such as malls. It is customary...everywhere in this country. I don't shop in some areas because I KNOW the prices are higher because of the customary percentage given to the owner of the buildings. Many Business owner decide to rent outside of such areas because they can keep their retail prices lower, but they sacrifice the high volume walk in business that a place like the villages town centers generate.

Further review of this document, http://sumtercountyfl.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1844
Go down to page 30 and you will see the budget of the Tourist Development Tax 5 year Plan. Expenses planned for 2012-13, 13-14,14-15, and 15- 16 all show 60,000 to go to The Villages Sumter Landing/Brownwood entertainment. So this IS a recurring item and for most of those years represents over 1/3 of the total spending on "Promotion/Advertising/Single Events/Reoccuring Events"

Additionally there is a 10,000 per year allocation for advertsing with The Villages Media Outlet. The contract is between the county and "The Villages of Lake Sumter, Inc" and notifications go to Barbara Vesco for the Contractor with title Director Entertainment/Special events. There is nothing in this contract to indicate that the Vescos independantly own anything rather that they direct or manage it.

[quote=graciegirl;614451]Thanks for clarifying that Gracie. A lot of people have complained about the landlord (Developer) getting a percentage of the net or gross but that is business as usual. The tenant is aware of that when the lease is signed. It is probably the one business expense the tenant can predict over the term of the lease. Claiming a business failed because the rent was too high doesn't make sense. Businesses usually fail because of any number of other reasons.

Let's see, how much of that money is spent on projects not directly affecting TV? How many of the county gov. seats are occupied by those involved with TV? I realize the growth is directly due to TV, but the money stays there also. If I was paying taxes in Bushnell, like my daughter, and my money is going to help subsidize the partying of retired folks, I'd be a bit upset. It's typical around here, "I want it now and I want it free!"

As a general rule ..... monies "granted" by "Tourist Development" agencies come from hotel / motel "bed taxes" Those are taxes / fees tacked on to the cost of a hotel room. Given the fact that Sumter Co. does not have a whole heck of a lot of motel room / beds .... it would seem that funding must come for multiple sources within the county. Exactly what those are ... I do not know.

While you can make an argument that entertainment in LSL & Brownwood Sq's promotes the overall economy in Sumter Co. .... It is an EXTREME stretch (imo) to think that it promotes "tourism" which should be the charge of a tourist development agency. As opposed to a "Economic" Development agency, which Sumter Co has.

I am not very good at math but i think that comes out to $164.00 a night per square. 730 nights divided in $120,000. that wouldn't pay for a disc jockey on his first night. $120,000 figure was in a different article i read earlier.

Your daughter in Bushnell may have children in school. Or may benefit from "the system" in some other way. I personally don't mind paying school taxes one bit. In our retirement community we all pay taxes to support the Florida school system, and most of us don't have children in school. Taxes go into a big pot and then the money is doled out in appropriate ways (we hope).

Property taxes for schools are a totally different animal. When you take sales tax money to support something like entertainment on the squares, that is ridiculous. Come on, really, if we can't afford to pay for our own music, should others....

And just as an added note, if anybody drives through southern Sumter County, you could find a better way to spend that money. If it is to promote tourism or the such, why not throw money at the battlefield area or Lake Pan area? People are coming to TV whether we have music on the square or not. To me, it's just a selfish waste of money!!!!!

Hotel/motel bed tax
 

There are many rentals in TV that pay that so called "Bed Tax."

I can find no evidence to support that .... can you document it for me?

I agree - people may enjoy the entertainment at the Squares, but its unreasonable to think that is the motivating reason they come to The Villages instead of going somewhere else. Entertainment on the squares is a small part of what The Villages is all about.

And I don't agree with comparing taxes to provide entertainment to well off people in a retirement community, to paying school taxes . School taxes are for the good of the community in a civilized society. Taxes to pay for entertainment 365 days/year is not in that league at all.

With my County Resident hat on, I personally think that money could be spent in a more judicious manner - surely there are parks or trails or some sort of event that could be promoted to bring in new tourism? All this grant does is subsidize tourism that would occur with or without the grant i.e. its basically a handout to The Villages, not a tourism promoter.

Read about it here -----> http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/forms/2009/gt800034.pdf

Here's the document that defines the additional surcharge rates by county: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/forms/2013/dr15dss.pdf

Bill :)

Those are both "sales" taxes that are collected by the state and remitted to individual counties. They do apply to hotel / motel beds and practically every other type of short term rental (less than 6 months). They make these transactions subject to sales tax at the same rate as any other "sales" transaction. The first you list is the State of Fla's 6%, the second is individual counties "discretionary" tax. Sumter Co is 1% which brings the total amount of sales tax on these taxable transactions within the county to 7%. They would be remitted to the state as a basic sales tax collection and the state (or the county the state sent their discretionary portion too) would have no way to know that these specific monies were derived from these short term rentals. If Sumter County shares "sales" tax revenue (of all types) with their "Tourist Development" agency, I do not know.

Neither of those are a "bed" tax which is levied by counties and is traditionally used for tourism development by that counties Tourist Development agency. If you look on a receipt for spending the night in almost any motel / hotel in the USofA, it will have separate line items for "sales" and "bed" taxes. These are specifically collected and remitted as a "bed" tax. I can find no evidence that Sumter Co levies that type of "bed" tax on short term rentals on houses within TV.

AGAIN ... I do not know exactly how Sumter Co funds in "Tourist Development" agency or how it shares it's collected taxes with it. My original point was that Tourist Development Agencys are typically funded by a specific "bed" tax .... Sumter Co would not appear to generate a lot of this type of revenue ..... and regardless of how it is funded, a grant from an agency that's mission is the development of tourism within the county, for entertainment in TV squares is questionable at best.

LndLocked - - - sorry if I misunderstood the point you were driving at.

Bill :)