[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

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WOW! Personally we changed from 'No Party' Affiliation' to 'Republican' in order to vote in the Primary. We are both Independents, but after research it was apparent that the 3 incumbents do(did) not deserve to be in those posts any longer. Some videos we saw of several Committee meetings, and how they treated our citizens (and in turn us all) soured us so much we HAD to vote.

This is good news - sure hope that we end up with more sincere and honest reps.

I must say - today we went online and switched back to NPA.

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Electing those duds is just jumping from the frying pan into the fire!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Ndomines

After seeing the past performances of the Commissioners Open meetings is it any wonder they got the boot?
Apparently they forgot that it’s the people not special interests they represent. OR maybe they never forgot who they represent.
KUDOS to the developers for all they have accomplished I only wish they had lived up to the promise of the small town, age restricted lifestyle as envisioned by Mr Schwartz.
Now we have URBAN SPRAWL.
Traffic jams, people living in The Villages who are under 40 with very loud mufflers on their motorcycles, pounding sub woofers going by in their loud cars, everyday lawn mowers running that never seem to get the neighbors lawns done. When we bought our home, and like so many others, we were told this is the last of new construction.
It’s impossible to turn back the clock but it is possible stop the lies and get about the business of
Making sure folks get what they paid for.

Yes, LOUD lawnmowers without mufflers. In my opinion ALL lawnmowers in TV land should be electric. Soon all cars and trucks will be. I hope lawnmowers soon follow.

[Advogado]

Originally Posted by PennBF

Is there a "Recall" procedure in Florida, where in case you have an elected official that is not truly representing the people can be recalled? I am thinking of the last 2 Commissioner's which we are stuck with until 2022?

Unfortunately, as far as I can determine, in Sumter County there is no way for voters to recall the Commissioners. See, e.g., Laws governing recall in Florida - Ballotpedia

Gilpin and Breeden can be ousted by the Governor and the State Senate, but you know that that is not likely to happen. Executive Suspensions - The Florida Senate

[Advogado]

[QUOTE=OrangeBlossomBaby;1819752]Just remember, you can still vote Democrat in all general elections. And (as I discovered too late) if there's a primary with one party running with no other party opposing it, you can vote in that primary no matter what your affiliation is.

In other words:

If the Republican party has 3 candidates running and there's a Primary to determine which one gets the nomination..

and if there is no Democrat running for that particular position...

then the primary becomes a "universal primary" and every registered voter in the district can vote for that primary.[/QUOTE

Not exactly. The Florida constitution provides for a Universal Primary Contest if the winner of the a primary will face NO opposition in the General Election, i.e., not necessarily opposition from a Democrat. For that reason, the Developer and his puppets ran fake write-in candidates Wahl and Prince-- thereby disenfranchising over 45,000 voters who should have, under the law, been entitled to vote in yesterday's primary.

[biker1]

Everyone could have voted if they were willing to change their voter registration to Republican. After the primary they can change it back. Clearly this is a bit of an inconvenience and should be unnecessary. I do know people who did do this and I encouraged others to do so. Fortunately it all worked out OK.

[QUOTE=Advogado;1820004]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Just remember, you can still vote Democrat in all general elections. And (as I discovered too late) if there's a primary with one party running with no other party opposing it, you can vote in that primary no matter what your affiliation is.

In other words:

If the Republican party has 3 candidates running and there's a Primary to determine which one gets the nomination..

and if there is no Democrat running for that particular position...

then the primary becomes a "universal primary" and every registered voter in the district can vote for that primary.[/QUOTE

Not exactly. The Florida constitution provides for a Universal Primary Contest if the winner of the a primary will face NO opposition in the General Election, i.e., not necessarily opposition from a Democrat. For that reason, the Developer and his puppets ran fake write-in candidates Wahl and Prince-- thereby disenfranchising over 45,000 voters who should have, under the law, been entitled to vote in yesterday's primary.

[Ndomines]

Already see it. Expand the tax base with sweetheart deals to developers then rake in the windfall from tax revenues and build new Palaces, new police headquarters, new courthouses, new public office buildings from which the entrenched politicians can operate in wall to wall carpeted, soundproof climate controlled offices while they sit at their mahogany desks and convince themselves that it all happened because the people who they bamboozed want to showcase what we the voters are so proud of.
Look around folks. Check out the public offices under construction all around THE VILLAGES, we are paying for it and our payback is urban sprawl.
There remains to many mutual admiration croonies spending
Tax revenues unchecked.

Originally Posted by Advogado

Good job, voters of Sumter County: 3 down! 2 to go! In 2022, we need to finish the cleansing of the County Commission by voting out the two remaining Developer puppets--Breeden and Gilpin.

Let's watch what happens between now and the departure of Butler, Burgess, and Printz after the general election in November. They may try to poison the well for the incumbents by tying the County into as many sweetheart contracts with
the Developer as possible.

[PennBF]

How many know the residents pay the majority of the costs to maintain the Sumter Landing maintenance even though the merchants and Developer get the usage of the facilities, business, and tourisiam? How many know that at times the Project Wide and Amenity funds are intermixed at the whim of the Villages? You should know Project Wide is for repairs and replacements has no cap while Amenity fees have cap? You pay project wide on your taxes and Amenity monthly! Just some rather things that go by the board!

[clwahlstrom]

It takes a “village.”

[Advogado]

[QUOTE=biker1;1820008]Everyone could have voted if they were willing to change their voter registration to Republican. After the primary they can change it back. Clearly this is a bit of an inconvenience and should be unnecessary. I do know people who did do this and I encouraged others to do so. Fortunately it all worked out OK. [QUOTE]


You are right, of course. But in running the fake candidates, the Developer and his puppets were correctly presuming that relatively few voters would actually change registrations to regain their right to vote.

Fortunately, as you say, despite their skirting of campaign contribution limits, their lie-filled misleading ads, and their use of fake candidates to wrongfully disfranchise over 45,000 voters, the puppets were trounced.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I'm unaffiliated and didn't realize until too late that there were primaries for local elections (most of our town elections in my town up north were one Dem vs. one GOP and sometimes an independent, so there weren't ever any primaries needed - several seats ran unopposed and maybe would get 10 write-ins on election day for someone else).

We are in MA from where you relocated I believe, and after college, a friend of mine wrote in my Dad's name for tree warden/commissioner (tree whatever) and he lost by 2 votes! That would have been a surprise. . .

sportsguy

[starflyte1]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

Somewhat surprisingly, the three candidates that challenged the three developer-supported Incumbents for positions as Sumter County Commissioners won the Republican Primary convincingly. The challengers will have to win the General Election in November, and there will be lots of developer-designed and funded challenges, probably for write-in candidates. The upcoming weeks will be interesting as this will be the first time in at least a decade when the Sumter County Board won’t be cleanly “in the pocket” of The Villages Developer.

What’s at risk for the Developer? Lots of things. Without a lot of study, how about...

—A repeal of the major change which has the new roads and infrastructure in the new southern end of The Villages funded by the taxpayers rather than the Developer as had been the practice until this year. The result of the change was a 25% increase in property taxes. The challengers all ran with the repeal of those tax increases as a major plank in their platforms.

—The possible repeal of the “One Sumter” procedure for the election of County Commissioners. The change in the electoral process goes back almost fifteen years and was designed and sponsored by the Developer. The result of the electoral change was that the County Board could be controlled by three members, all of whom have turned out to be choices of the Developer and financed by them. The result of course was pretty much complete control of the Board in getting anything the Developer wanted approved.

—There are lots of other decisions facing the County Commissioners that will effect all Villages residents living in Sumter County (the vast majority of us). Not the least important issue might be approval of the re-zoning of the Hacienda Hills CC parcel to permit the construction of a high-rise 286-unit apartment building.

So it’ll probably be important for all of us to begin to pay lots more attention to local Sumter County politics. You can be certain that the Developer will be very creative approaching the General Election and beyond, trying to regain control of the Sumter County Board. Keeping local politics in the control of the taxpayers will take our collective, continual attention.

Is it too late for the Developer to put up 3 Dems to run against the primary winners?

I totally agree with what you said, that the Developer will be very creative approaching the General Election and try to regain control of the commission.

[JoMar]

Ah the views through rose colored glasses.......wait a couple years and these conversations will return.

[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

Somewhat surprisingly, the three candidates that challenged the three developer-supported Incumbents for positions as Sumter County Commissioners won the Republican Primary convincingly. The challengers will have to win the General Election in November, and there will be lots of developer-designed and funded challenges, probably for write-in candidates. The upcoming weeks will be interesting as this will be the first time in at least a decade when the Sumter County Board won’t be cleanly “in the pocket” of The Villages Developer.

What’s at risk for the Developer? Lots of things. Without a lot of study, how about...

—A repeal of the major change which has the new roads and infrastructure in the new southern end of The Villages funded by the taxpayers rather than the Developer as had been the practice until this year. The result of the change was a 25% increase in property taxes. The challengers all ran with the repeal of those tax increases as a major plank in their platforms.

—The possible repeal of the “One Sumter” procedure for the election of County Commissioners. The change in the electoral process goes back almost fifteen years and was designed and sponsored by the Developer. The result of the electoral change was that the County Board could be controlled by three members, all of whom have turned out to be choices of the Developer and financed by them. The result of course was pretty much complete control of the Board in getting anything the Developer wanted approved.

—There are lots of other decisions facing the County Commissioners that will effect all Villages residents living in Sumter County (the vast majority of us). Not the least important issue might be approval of the re-zoning of the Hacienda Hills CC parcel to permit the construction of a high-rise 286-unit apartment building.

So it’ll probably be important for all of us to begin to pay lots more attention to local Sumter County politics. You can be certain that the Developer will be very creative approaching the General Election and beyond, trying to regain control of the Sumter County Board. Keeping local politics in the control of the taxpayers will take our collective, continual attention.

great summary, thanks.

[Northwoods]

Hacienda Hills... The Developer wants to build a nice apartment complex with a pool (SWIM UP BAR) and restaurant. All residents have access. Or... you can have a parking lot. You don't get to dictate what is on that site. (Neither do the new commissioners).

Remember Katie Bell's? You want the Developer to build a restaurant for Villagers so they can order a water with lemon and split the entree.

So many people complain that The Developer is abandoning the older sections of The Villages. The Developer is willing to provide housing for some of the older residents that don't want the maintenance of a house anymore. The complex will feature a new pool and a new restaurant.

But many of you don't want that. You would prefer a parking lot.

[THUNDERCHIEF]

Awesome- get the bum;s out