Originally Posted by Advogado (Post 1684911)

I am going to start with a riddle: How can 5 guys screw 125,000 people--- Now I mean screw financially, not physically?

The answer to the riddle: Five guys can do this by getting elected to the Sumter County Board of Commissioners, with the support of the Developer and then financially screwing everybody in Sumter County-- except the Developer and the Developer's cronies. More specifically, these 5 guys are screwing Sumter County taxpayers by giving the Developer a sweetheart deal on IMPACT FEES, thereby offloading the costs of The Villages expansion on to Sumter County taxpayers and saving the Developer an incredible amount of money. That is what we saw happening on the evening of September 25 when the Developer toadies serving as County Commissioners screwed the Sumter County taxpayers with a 25% tax increase in order to benefit the Commissioners' patron, the Developer.

Remember the Developer put the County Commissioners in office via his “One Sumter” 2004 legislation; his campaign contributions; his propaganda organ, The Villages Daily Sun; and his promotion of directors and presidents from his front organization, the so-called Villages Homeowners Advocates (the VHA), to political office.

Until recently, I didn't know what an impact fee was. Now I do--no thanks to the September 24th front-page article in The Developer' Daily Sun, which purported to explain property taxes, but never mentions impact fees. According to Sumter County's own website: “An impact fee is a one time charge applied to new construction. The purpose of the fee is to fund capital projects for roads (such as construction, land acquisition, [sic]). Impact fees can be charges for parks, schools, jails, ambulances and other infrastructure needs that may occur due to new development.” An impact fee is paid by the builder of a new house when he gets his building permit.

If you are on a County Commission, and you want to do a favor for the guy who put you in office and that guy is a big developer, you set a REAL LOW impact fee. To put what's going on here in perspective, let's look at Collier County. In Collier County, where the Developer doesn't have the County Commissioners in his pocket, the builder of a house in a retirement community pays an impact fee of about $20,000 per house.

In Sumter County, the Developer pays an impact fee of $901 per house. I repeat $901 or about $19,000 per house less than he would pay if he built in Collier County. Stated differently the Developer is paying an impact fee of less than 5% of what he would pay in Collier County.

This sweetheart deal in Sumter County has been in place for years. Who has been making up for the lost county revenue, i.e., who has been making a gift to the Developer? We have, through higher county taxes.

Now the chickens have now REALLY come home to roost. The Villages is massively expanding, which is necessitating a corresponding massive expansion in roads and other infrastructure. 60,000 new houses times $19,000 per house (i.e., the difference between the Sumter County and Collier County impact-fee rates) means that the Developer will be paying impact fees of One Billion, One Hundred Forty Million Dollars less than he would pay in Collier County. BUT rather than increasing the Developer's low impact fees to cover the cost of the infrastructure expansion, the County Commissioners are increasing OUR taxes by 25%. (Incidentally, the One Billion, One Hundred Forty Million Dollar figure doesn't include the amount of the gift that the Developer has already received with respect to houses already built.) The Developer is certainly getting a good return on his campaign contributions-- at our expense.

The Daily Sun cites $348 as a typical tax increase. So remember, when you pay your taxes, you are essentially writing a check to the Developer for $348 (or whatever your actual tax increase is.)

Please mark your 2020 calendars on August 18 (the date of the Republican primary) and on November 3 (the date of the general election) as follows: VOTE OUT BUTLER, BURGESS, AND PRINTZ.

LET'S CLEAN UP SUMTER COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Originally Posted by Mikeod (Post 1685419)

So, how is this any different from other municipalities, counties, or states that provide tax and other incentives to get companies to move into them? Certainly the tax shortfall created has to be addressed by a tax increase.

The Villages isn’t the only one building in Sumter. Perhaps the county was concerned raising impact fees across the board may discourage other builders and reduce potential tax revenue.

Perhaps the county saw an opportunity to dramatically increase its tax base through increased building of residential and commercial property and, at the same time, address the need for a comprehensive improvement in surface routes in the county.

And I don’t remember reading that the developer won’t also have to pay the increase on all his property, such as unsold homes, the squares, the commercial areas, etc. maybe I missed that.

To me, the only ones with a legitimate gripe are those living in other areas of the county that believes they are ignored in favor of Villages residents.

Originally Posted by TNGary (Post 1685420)

Good write-up and thanks for pulling this together. Regarding voting out the three names you mentioned, [B]Please follow-up with the names of three replacement candidates that are on the same page as the l
Thanks.

Right now challengers are just starting to emerge. Hopefully, there will be some good ones. I am hoping that the POA will vet the challengers and make recommendations.

BTW, I am surprised at the number of posters who defend the tax increase and the continuation of the low impact fee for the Developer.

I am a Republican, and this area is highly Republican. We are supposed to be against corporate welfare-- which is exactly what is being doled out here to the Developer. I guess some people just don't recognize it for what it is (or they are affiliated with the Developer-- a problem with the anonymous posts on this site).

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 1685468)

Because I would guess people working for sales etc have a vested interest and the TIME sitting in front of a computer during work hours, as compared to many Villagers enjoying recreation outside. I’m in my studio painting away happily with my iPad open. You get a very skewed sample at TOTV.

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 1685468)

Because I would guess people working for sales etc have a vested interest and the TIME sitting in front of a computer during work hours, as compared to many Villagers enjoying recreation outside. I’m in my studio painting away happily with my iPad open. You get a very skewed sample at TOTV.

Originally Posted by Advogado (Post 1684997)

I am not anonymously complaining. My name is listed above, and yours?

The point is that infrastructure expansion like we are experiencing is normally paid for by the developer responsible for it. Here the Developer's toadies on the Commission have not increased the per-existing impact fee (already a sweetheart rate) by 1 cent to cover it. They have increased taxes instead.

Don't you see what is going on or are you somehow connected with the Developer?

Originally Posted by dewilson58 (Post 1685568)

ToTV (or at least this thread) is divided much like our country.


5% (or maybe 10%) on the extreme left with conspiracies, greed & corruption. 5% (or maybe 10%) on the extreme right with supporting the developer. Both sides very vocal.


With the vast majority in the middle observing "the wings" and many times being turned off by both.


The happy supporters, support after the fact. The unhappy residents & non-residents complain after the fact.




I'm a supporter of the developer, of the free market, of business success in general. Am I in the 5% (or 10%) right wingers as defined above........not sure, don't care.


There really shouldn't be much surprise here in Sumter County at the increase in taxes. If it's 10%, 20% or 30%.....it was coming. "You could see it coming" with no tax increases in over 10 years. If you didn't, shame on you.


Yes there is a debate of what Cities, Counties, States & Federal Governments should pay vs. private industries. Incentives are part of tax base growth at all levels. The only way to truly impact incentives are proactively, not after the fact.


There is much more Sumter County land out there to be developed. If change is needed, comments on this forum will not get it done.




Have a good day.

Originally Posted by eyc234 (Post 1685570)

There have been lots of post on this subject with a whole lot of hearsay, accusations, slander, half truths and animosity. If some of the accusations are true there should be charges brought, people going to jail and large fines. County commissioners have been accused of being in the pocket of the developer, this is bribery and is illegal punishable by fines, removal from office and jail time on both the commissioners and the developer. There should be facts and proof of this, correct? If not then it is slander, hearsay and lies. To slander anyone because you do not like what you perceive to be wrong with no proof is not right and not only hurts the person slandered but the family and associates of the person. Have said it before stick with facts and whole truths. Fully agree that there have been questionable decisions by the commissioners but accusations of crimes need to have proof. Making blanket statements across the board shows little insight, the statements that no cost for infrastructure installation during development is paid by taxpayers or longtime citizens living in community is blatantly false, just look at every NFL stadium built with taxpayer money. If that is not corporate welfare what is.

Need to stick to facts, whole truths, provable assertions and logic.

Originally Posted by Advogado (Post 1685574)

"Yes there is a debate of what Cities, Counties, States & Federal Governments should pay vs. private industries. Incentives are part of tax base growth at all levels. The only way to truly impact incentives are proactively, not after the fact."


To claim that incentives were necessary to entice the Developer to expand The Villages is absurd.