[Northwoods]

I love living here. I think The Developer has created an amazing place to live. I don't have an issue with The Developer making money. BUT - I don't want to pay more than my fair share. Do I think "government" in Sumter County could use a little more oversight and "scrutiny"? Yes. I think The Developer might not be paying their fair share. But do I want to replace current Commissioners with people who want to screw the Developer at every turn? No.
So I want to make sure I vote for people who are knowledgeable about government. Know how to be fair and reasonable. Know how to negotiate.

[PrudentLifer]

Originally Posted by Carla B

Yes, and affordable housing for the workforce required to run this vast place hasn't kept up.

That's about to change with the vast amount of housing planned across from Pinellas Plaza on 466A.

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by Northwoods

I love living here. I think The Developer has created an amazing place to live. I don't have an issue with The Developer making money. BUT - I don't want to pay more than my fair share. Do I think "government" in Sumter County could use a little more oversight and "scrutiny"? Yes. I think The Developer might not be paying their fair share. But do I want to replace current Commissioners with people who want to screw the Developer at every turn? No.
So I want to make sure I vote for people who are knowledgeable about government. Know how to be fair and reasonable. Know how to negotiate.

entirely too reasonable. Try again.

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by eyc234

Did not get hit with 25%, only 12 and had 15 years of no increases. Taxes are still lower than a majority of places. When you vote them out you will still have the same issue, not enough money to run the county. If you raise the fee on the developer you raise the fee on all builders. I am sure the small builders will love that.

I thought the argument was to raise the Developer's fee to nearer what the small builder has to pay?

[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by Northwoods

I love living here. I think The Developer has created an amazing place to live. I don't have an issue with The Developer making money. BUT - I don't want to pay more than my fair share. Do I think "government" in Sumter County could use a little more oversight and "scrutiny"? Yes. I think The Developer might not be paying their fair share. But do I want to replace current Commissioners with people who want to screw the Developer at every turn? No.
So I want to make sure I vote for people who are knowledgeable about government. Know how to be fair and reasonable. Know how to negotiate.

I don't think a single person wants to vote in people who want to "screw the developer" at every turn. But we'd like to have people who will represent US and have OUR interests at heart, not the developer's.

[dewilson58]

Realistically Impact Fees don't impact the Developer.


IF the Impact Fee tripled, the Developer would just increase the price of the new houses by $2k. This would not slow sales. Every house in Southern Oaks would have sold if the price was $2k higher.


The Developer will make their 30% margin with a $1,000 Impact Fee or a $3,000 Impact Fee. It has nothing to do with Developer greed...............they will make their margins and they will continue to sell their new homes.


A friend is moving from an area by 466a to Southern Oaks. They have signed on the line. Construction will not start until February. What a great back-log. $2,000 additional fee would not have impacted the Developer.


Look for greed, controlling the commissioner, fraud some where else.

[eyc234]

Originally Posted by Love2Swim

I don't think a single person wants to vote in people who want to "screw the developer" at every turn. But we'd like to have people who will represent US and have OUR interests at heart, not the developer's.

I would think citizens would be looking for people that are fair on both sides of the fence. Looking at the facts, the needs of all and working for the best compromise that will benefit the most for society as a whole. That is an extremely tall order now days but we can dream.

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Realistically Impact Fees don't impact the Developer.


IF the Impact Fee tripled, the Developer would just increase the price of the new houses by $2k. This would not slow sales. Every house in Southern Oaks would have sold if the price was $2k higher.


The Developer will make their 30% margin with a $1,000 Impact Fee or a $3,000 Impact Fee. It has nothing to do with Developer greed...............they will make their margins and they will continue to sell their new homes.


A friend is moving from an area by 466a to Southern Oaks. They have signed on the line. Construction will not start until February. What a great back-log. $2,000 additional fee would not have impacted the Developer.


Look for greed, controlling the commissioner, fraud some where else.

I'm not sure where you studied economics or ran a business, but before retirement you must have lived in a communist country. In a capitalistic one, competition prevents a seller from simply upping his price to cover increased costs.

The Developer would have had to absorb some or all of the increased impact fees. That is why he had his County Commissioners raise our taxes instead of his impact fees.

In any event, no matter how much of the fees he would have had to absorb, the cost of the increased infrastructure would not have fallen on the existing Sumter County taxpayers.

[bonrich]

Then there those of us who are not full time residents of Florida, some by choice and others by personal obligations. We have to pay the same taxes as residents and because we cannot get the Homestead deduction, pay more. Our costs to live here, albeit part time, still go on when we are away from Florida. Resident and nonresident costs continue no matter where you live. We have no say in what is going on in Sumter County as far as taxes, Commissioners, etc. We are the flotsam and jetsam of Sumter County, equal in all, but no say in our future and have to live with what is decided by full timers. All those potential votes that cannot be counted, but the money we pay for the taxes are.
Frustrating is one word to use...…..

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Advogado

I'm not sure where you studied economics or ran a business, but before retirement you must have lived in a communist country. In a capitalistic one, competition prevents a seller from simply upping his price to cover increased costs.

The Developer would have had to absorb some or all of the increased impact fees. That is why he had his County Commissioners raise our taxes instead of his impact fees.

In any event, no matter how much of the fees he would have had to absorb, the cost of the increased infrastructure would not have fallen on the existing Sumter County taxpayers.

I think you're both missing the point. Raising an impact fee to $2000 gets passed to the homeowner. That's fine. The homeowner is now on the hook for an extra $1100 (since there's already a $900 fee built in).

So when he buys the home, then $2000 of the sales price covers the cost of the impact fee. No biggie. Why? Here's why:

Compare to the TAX INCREASE:

The homeowner now pays an extra $xxx (average almost $400) PER YEAR until he sells his home. If he lives in that home 10 years, he's just paid (an average of) $4000 for the same "cost" that the developer would have only paid $2000 for.

The homeowner gets screwed by way of continual costs. The impact fee is a one-time fee. The tax is yearly.

[FenneyFanatic]

[manaboutown]

IMHO due to the extensive size of the new development and the necessary upgrading of roads and more in existing developed areas an enormous amount of 'up front' money is needed - and needed NOW! I suppose bonds could be issued to raise money but they could not be tax free municipal bonds and would need to pay a higher rate of interest to be successfully marketed to the public as taxable bonds. I don't believe waiting on house by house impact fee payments however much they might be is a viable option to obtain the millions of up front dollars needed as some infrastructure will need to be in place prior to the first house being built. So, perhaps some genius with the developer proposed the huge countywide tax increase to fund the required infrastructure and the councilors bought it.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Realistically Impact Fees don't impact the Developer.


IF the Impact Fee tripled, the Developer would just increase the price of the new houses by $2k. This would not slow sales. Every house in Southern Oaks would have sold if the price was $2k higher.


The Developer will make their 30% margin with a $1,000 Impact Fee or a $3,000 Impact Fee. It has nothing to do with Developer greed...............they will make their margins and they will continue to sell their new homes.


A friend is moving from an area by 466a to Southern Oaks. They have signed on the line. Construction will not start until February. What a great back-log. $2,000 additional fee would not have impacted the Developer.


Look for greed, controlling the commissioner, fraud some where else.

I am trying to follow your logic, if what you are saying is true then why wouldn't the developer gladly pay the impact fee and simply pass it on to the new homes sale price while maintaining their profit margin? I highly doubt pi$$ing off the majority of existing residents with a huge tax increase is something the developers would do if it had no impact on profits?

I keep asking myself, would this have happened if Gary Morse was still alive and running operations?

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

I am trying to follow your logic, if what you are saying is true then why wouldn't the developer gladly pay the impact fee and simply pass it on to the new homes sale price while maintaining their profit margin? I highly doubt pi$$ing off the majority of existing residents with a huge tax increase is something the developers would do if it had no impact on profits?

I keep asking myself, would this have happened if Gary Morse was still alive and running operations?

You can't follow the logic because there is no logic to follow. Your analysis is absolutely correct.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

I am trying to follow your logic, if what you are saying is true then why wouldn't the developer gladly pay the impact fee and simply pass it on to the new homes sale price while maintaining their profit margin? I highly doubt pi$$ing off the majority of existing residents with a huge tax increase is something the developers would do if it had no impact on profits?

I keep asking myself, would this have happened if Gary Morse was still alive and running operations?

You are too far into the conspiracy camp.....thinking the Developer controls commissioners and tax increases.


The Impact Fee is/was set, why would a business go to the county and ask for an increase?? If the county doesn't do it, TV houses are cheaper.


As I said, the developer will maintain their 30% margin.