An elected official has raised concerns that residents are subsidizing advertising for The Villages.
Community Development District 10 Supervisor Don Wiley said at Monday’s Project Wide Advisory Committee meeting that The Villages is benefitting from having its trademarked logo on infrastructure owned by residents.
He said residents are paying for water towers that have The Villages logo and will soon take over costs of maintenance for huge new bridges spanning State Road 44 and the Florida Turnpike.
“We should not have maintenance cost responsibility for lighting up these ‘billboards.’ We should not be paying that maintenance. We should actually be receiving advertising revenue,” Wiley said.
He admitted he was risking ruffling the feathers of the Developer. He said that was not his intent.
“I’m looking after the best interests of the residents,” said Wiley, who added that he enjoys living in The Villages and is proud of the community.
PWAC Chairman Peter Moeller said residents feel a sense of pride in living under the banner of The Villages.
“That is our brand. I feel as much ownership in that brand as the Developer does,” said Moeller, a supervisor in Community Development District 6.
PWAC legal counsel Lewis Stone said “The Villages” is more than a name and also serves as a locator.
“If you are driving in from somewhere else, say North Carolina, when you see that logo on the water tower, you know you’ve arrived,” Stone said.
