With the 2022 election approaching, Columnist Scott Fenstermaker contends the POA needs to live up to its mission of serving as a watchdog for residents of The Villages.
Sumter powers Florida upward thevillagesdailysun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thevillagesdailysun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As new members of the Sumter County commission are pushing for a tax increase that would punish new business, leaders at the state level are igniting their strategy to lure it to the Sunshine State. Ex-Democrats Oren Miller and Gary Search are championing the reversal of the countyâs longstanding pro-business strategy, seeking to dramatically raise road impact fees on new homes and businesses countywide. Search has pressed to nearly double the fees from the current 40% of the maximum allowed by law to 75%; Miller wants a 150% increase to the full maximum. Longtime Republican commissioners Doug Gilpin, Gary Breeden and Craig Estep tabled the matter until July after a standing-room only crowd pleaded with them earlier this month to reconsider the severity of the economic fallout.