[Advogado]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

Perhaps you might reconsider the use of your descriptor 'toadie' re the Commissioners.

Should you not wish to, perhaps you would recognize yourself as a 'toadie' for the POA?

If I am a toadie for anybody, I am a toadie for the taxpayers of Sumter County. Would you please identify yourself so that we can determine if you are a toadie for the Developer or Commissioners.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Advogado

If I am a toadie for anybody, I am a toadie for the taxpayers of Sumter County. Would you please identify yourself so that we can determine if you are a toadie for the Developer or Commissioners.

She isn't anybody's "toadie". She is a smart and intelligent and successful woman who has one of her homes here.

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by FenneyFanatic

Am I the only one on here who is tired or negativity, anti-developer sentiment and overall grouchiness??

No you are not!

[FenneyFanatic]

I will not spend one minute of the time I have left complaining about the business dealings of a developer that created and maintains the finest active retirement community in the world! There's so many better ways to spend the time.

[Velvet]

I can see how the 25% increase went down now.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by FenneyFanatic

Am I the only one on here who is tired or negativity, anti-developer sentiment and overall grouchiness??

It's sad and they are sad people.


The grouches are sad and want to bring everyone else down to they world.


This forum will not generate support for them, it will not change the 25% increase, it will not change anything. They just need to spread their sh^t.


Some are taking aim at the current generation as greedy. It wasn't the third generation who made the first BILLION dollars, it was the prior generations. They made it by purchasing the land cheap and then selling the land at cost, plus a $1Bil profit to The Villages, then issuing the bonds...........the bonds the IRS did not like.


Being happy is just more fun.

[FenneyFanatic]

[Love2Swim]

Anywhere else, if residents were hit by a 25% tax increase, citizens would be up in arms. Here, on TOTV, the regulars can’t seem to find a problem with it, and, even worse, are bashing those who question it. Unbelievable. I’m hoping that people like you are in the minority, and that common sense will prevail in the future, when the taxpayers vote those responsible for the tax increase out of office.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Love2Swim

Anywhere else, if residents were hit by a 25% tax increase, citizens would be up in arms. Here, on TOTV, the regulars can’t seem to find a problem with it, and, even worse, are bashing those who question it. Unbelievable.

[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by Ben Franklin

I brought up Impact fees when I first heard of this tax increase. I am from a county in Southwest Florida, where the Commissioners were also in the pockets of the developers. Taxes held pretty steady until the Commissioners dropped the impact fees, then our taxes went up. The Commissioner's response was that impact fees would stymy growth. I moved to that county when the population was around 150,000 people. Today there are close to 800,000 people, and it's a parking lot on the roadways, even in the summer.

Personal responsibility means that those who are impacting the roads and schools and other areas should be the one's paying for their impact, not the people who already live in a community. We need leaders, not puppets.

[eyc234]

Originally Posted by Love2Swim

Anywhere else, if residents were hit by a 25% tax increase, citizens would be up in arms. Here, on TOTV, the regulars can’t seem to find a problem with it, and, even worse, are bashing those who question it. Unbelievable. I’m hoping that people like you are in the minority, and that common sense will prevail in the future, when the taxpayers vote those responsible for the tax increase out of office.

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.

[dewilson58]

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.

Facts & Logic..................nice addition to this thread.

[Velvet]

What might make the tax increase more palatable, just saying, if those who were asked to pay it received more services for themselves in return.

[manaboutown]

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.

Perhaps taxes on individual houses have remained level or even diminished over an extended period of time because most of the infrastructure for buildout on the land owned/controlled by the developer was already in place through some prior financial arrangement such as the municipal bonds that were not truly municipal bonds. Every new house that was built over this period of time added to tax revenue and of course had a bond lien placed on it when sold to cover water, sewer, utilities, streets, etc.. For example, if 2,000 houses were built in a year and the average property tax on each was $3,000, these new houses collectively would add $6,000,000 to property tax revenue every single year from that year forward. As many thousands of houses have been built every year over the last 10 to 12 years total county tax revenue has enormously increased every year, even if tax rates have remained the same or been slightly reduced.

Now, acres and acres of newly acquired raw land, essentially enough land to double the size of The Villages, require infrastructure to be put in place before houses can be built and sold. What to do? Where can the money be found. Aha! We can increase the tax rates on the existing homes all over Sumter County. Let the taxpayers pick up the bill. Why not? What a great idea? If we do it right they may grumble but they won't be able to stop us...

[eyc234]

Originally Posted by Advogado

There is an applicable Latin term: res ipsa loquitur, which means "the thing speaks for itself".

It is obvious what is going on when the County Commissioners vote for a property-tax increase on residents instead of an impact-fee increase on the Developer. If you cannot see what is going on here, you are either turning a blind eye toward the obvious or you are affiliated with the Developer or County Commissioners. Would you please identify yourself. I have.

In case you are not aware, County Commissioners in Florida have a sordid history. For examples, simply Google: “Florida county commissioner bribe.” Nevertheless, I have never said that anything illegal was done in this case, and I have no evidence of illegality. Bottom line: legal or not, what was done here stinks.

You miss the fact I was stating. You again make an innuendo that something illegal is going on between the developer and the county commissioners above. All I asked is do you have proof or evidence submissable in court to prosecute for these nefarious deeds. This is a country that the legal system still says you are innocent until proven guilty even if that is not what people like. As far as the history of bad county commissioners, I go further and do not trust any politician. But I will not condemn, slander, post half truths, make innuendos or degrade people without knowing the truth backed up by facts. Your bottom line is an opinion and for some, mostly those outside TV it will be a burden that should be looked to assist them with relief/assistance.

If you would like to speak with me feel free to send me a private message and I will be glad to speak with you about myself. Believe me I am not nor ever have been in any way connected to the developer or any government entity.