Sumter County Administrator Bradley Arnold will speak to the Property Owners’ Association about the 25 percent tax increase.
Arnold will speak at the POA’s general membership meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Eisenhower Recreation Center. You do not need to be a member to attend.
The commission hasn’t raised taxes in the past 14 years but this year they’ve told residents such a drastic increase is necessary because of several issues, the largest of which is providing infrastructure in the new Southern Oaks section of The Villages.
Arnold has said that road improvements and a new fire station on Morse Boulevard south of State Road 44 are examples of infrastructure that precede development revenue. He’s also explained that other major budget expenses include the resurfacing of Morse and Buena Vista boulevards to the tune of about $34.8 million. And construction along Warm Springs Avenue in the Villages of Southern Oaks also is part of the problem.