[ScottFenstermaker]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

Now's your chance. Maybe you can run for one of the two soon to be open Council seats. Then you can be the Sweetheart Deal Killer.

I have no political ambitions and don't live in either Gilpin's or Breeden's district. Hopefully Republican challengers, who are independent of the Developer, will emerge before the next primary.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

The new charter schools being built are being paid for by The Developer, not your tax $$$...

But, it will collect tax dollars which will pay for it 10 fold.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Are we going to have to go thru all of that again?

Why——not.

[triflex]

I read that article too. I came from a County on the Coast in FL with impact fees raised for sewer.

Think of it like this: You own a Yugo (old poor Sumter County) and you decide to buy a Ferrari (new Sumter County that isn't a poverty palace). Then the County decides to charge you 150% in impact fees for buying the Ferrari. You decide not to buy the Ferrari. Now you and the County have nothing but what was already there. You have to PAY the impact fee before you even GET that car. However if the impact fee isn't there then improvements can be taxed or paid over time (like the Bond we pay which is basically a loan we got without even having to qualify for it) .

In my old County (Brevard) I was in a new house on sewer. Other new houses literally next door were being built and required an impact fee for sewer. All of the new houses sought an exemption and requested to put in septic tanks or they wouldn't build. The County, instead of granting an impact fee waiver, allowed septic tanks two doors down from the sewer system. Not one new house in area was added to the sewer system in the three years I was there - all of them installed septic systems. Why? Impact fees were between $20k & $35k and homeowners and builders refused to build without the septic tank being waived in.

Local governments become filled with people who just want to get to retirement and get a pension. From my experience, you start seeing a lot of fat guys in County pickup trucks who cannot wait for lunch to roll around. Nothing of substance gets done.

The Developer is WAAAAAAY better than what seems to be shaping up on the Sumter County Commissioners Board or other counties.

Originally Posted by Rainger99

There is an article in today's paper about impact taxes going up 150%. I have never heard the term before but I did some research and they appear to be an assessment for infrastructure.

Southern residents voice concerns about tax increase | In Today's Daily Sun | The Villages Daily Sun | thevillagesdailysun.com

Are they the same as the bond? According to the following article, the impact fee for a 1,400–1,999-square-foot home in Palm Beach County is $12,469.43

How impact fees work in Florida and what changes under the new law | Palm Beach Roofing Press

However, I also read that a law that was passed this summer limits impact fees. As of June 4, 2021, jurisdictions can only increase impact fees once every four years in the following manner: Increases between 25 to 50 percent must be spread over four years, while smaller increases would be implemented in two equal installments.

If that is the case, how can Sumter be increasing them by up to 150%??

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ScottFenstermaker

I have no political ambitions and don't live in either Gilpin's or Breeden's district. Hopefully Republican challengers, who are independent of the Developer, will emerge before the next primary.

Too bad. If you would be just as entertaining on the County Commission as you are on TOTV, I'd certainly vote for you

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by triflex

The Developer is WAAAAAAY better than what seems to be shaping up on the Sumter County Commissioners Board or other counties.

Exactly, looking beyond the Villages boarders shows what this atea would need like without competent long term planned development.

The impact fee fiasco illustrates what it would have taken to get county approval for the bonds to build the charter school education complex?l.

It is a company town and that's a major reason I retired here.

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by Robbie0723

Exactly, looking beyond the Villages boarders shows what this atea would need like without competent long term planned development.

The impact fee fiasco illustrates what it would have taken to get county approval for the bonds to build the charter school education complex?l.

It is a company town and that's a major reason I retired here.

Thank you. Exactly how we feel. We like clean, we like rules, we like order, and mostly we like how the Morse family does things. We wonder if some of the complainers moved here because they didn't like the way things were done and figured they could spend what ever time they had left just bitching about things and it would make their days seem longer because they were sooooo unhappy.
I may not be a retired lawyer like Mr.Fenstermaker...... but I know my taxes are lower now compared to my first years here. After 17 years full time I have no complaints.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by ScottFenstermaker

I have no political ambitions and don't live in either Gilpin's or Breeden's district. Hopefully Republican challengers, who are independent of the Developer, will emerge before the next primary.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for what you’re hoping for. After watching the new commissioners get repeatedly slandered, strong armed, accused of crimes, and having their lives generally made miserable, who in their right mind would want to follow in their footsteps. Mission accomplished, the emperor has spoken!

[Bogie Shooter]

//////

[ScottFenstermaker]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Don’t hold your breath waiting for what you’re hoping for. After watching the new commissioners get repeatedly slandered, strong armed, accused of crimes, and having their lives generally made miserable, who in their right mind would want to follow in their footsteps. Mission accomplished, the emperor has spoken!

I am afraid you may be right.

[Bilyclub]

Originally Posted by triflex

I read that article too. I came from a County on the Coast in FL with impact fees raised for sewer.

Think of it like this: You own a Yugo (old poor Sumter County) and you decide to buy a Ferrari (new Sumter County that isn't a poverty palace). Then the County decides to charge you 150% in impact fees for buying the Ferrari. You decide not to buy the Ferrari. Now you and the County have nothing but what was already there. You have to PAY the impact fee before you even GET that car. However if the impact fee isn't there then improvements can be taxed or paid over time (like the Bond we pay which is basically a loan we got without even having to qualify for it) .

In my old County (Brevard) I was in a new house on sewer. Other new houses literally next door were being built and required an impact fee for sewer. All of the new houses sought an exemption and requested to put in septic tanks or they wouldn't build. The County, instead of granting an impact fee waiver, allowed septic tanks two doors down from the sewer system. Not one new house in area was added to the sewer system in the three years I was there - all of them installed septic systems. Why? Impact fees were between $20k & $35k and homeowners and builders refused to build without the septic tank being waived in.

Local governments become filled with people who just want to get to retirement and get a pension. From my experience, you start seeing a lot of fat guys in County pickup trucks who cannot wait for lunch to roll around. Nothing of substance gets done.

The Developer is WAAAAAAY better than what seems to be shaping up on the Sumter County Commissioners Board or other counties.

Welcome to TOTY. We got high bonds and a big property tax hike. It was about the developer and the prior commissioners raising property taxes to pay for the roads in the developers new project South of 44.

[ScottFenstermaker]

Originally Posted by Bilyclub

Welcome to TOTY. We got high bonds and a big property tax hike. It was about the developer and the prior commissioners raising property taxes to pay for the roads in the developers new project South of 44.

Most people don't realize that the issue is not just new county roads. The Developer pays for 40% of his county roads and zero percent for his other county infrastructure like libraries, police and fire stations and equipment, government buildings and equipment, and jail expansion. This is why he wants to maintain control of the County Commission.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by ScottFenstermaker

Most people don't realize that the issue is not just new county roads. The Developer pays for 40% of his county roads and zero percent for his other county infrastructure like libraries, police and fire stations and equipment, government buildings and equipment, and jail expansion. This is why he wants to maintain control of the County Commission.

I believe that is 40% of the maximum justifiable charge, which doesn't necessarily equate to actual cost.

Can road impact fees be legally spent on any of the things you mention? And are you sure the developer didn't build the Villages fire stations (that's an honest question, I don't know).

Not saying the developer isn't getting a good deal, they are, but Sumter County and Wildwood are definitely benefiting also. They benefit directly from the increasing number of tax payers and indirectly from the increasing number of customers in local businesses. Everybody seems to be winning at the moment.

[Northwoods]

Originally Posted by ScottFenstermaker

Most people don't realize that the issue is not just new county roads. The Developer pays for 40% of his county roads and zero percent for his other county infrastructure like libraries, police and fire stations and equipment, government buildings and equipment, and jail expansion. This is why he wants to maintain control of the County Commission.

I believe The Developer builds the Fire Stations and then turns them over to the district for $0. The only stipulation is that they must remain a fire station.
Goldwingnut has stated this numerous times.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

I believe that is 40% of the maximum justifiable charge, which doesn't necessarily equate to actual cost.

Can road impact fees be legally spent on any of the things you mention? And are you sure the developer didn't build the Villages fire stations (that's an honest question, I don't know).

Not saying the developer isn't getting a good deal, they are, but Sumter County and Wildwood are definitely benefiting also. They benefit directly from the increasing number of tax payers and indirectly from the increasing number of customers in local businesses. Everybody seems to be winning at the moment.

I'd like to see the planning for how the county will manage the incremental property taxes the county will collect as a result of expansion.

The following model is very conservative considering the current higher rate of construction and increase in average sell price of new homes.

Estimate they're closer to 5,000 homes per year@ $350K+ sell price currently. At that rate, the county will collect over $100M in incremental tax revenue before the roads completed the next 5 years