If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the past week it’s this, Rep. Brett Hage – who supposedly represents Villagers – has long ago thrown ethics to the wind.
In case you missed it, Villages-News.com revealed in a story on March 16 that Hage has been drawing a paycheck from The Villages. While that’s disturbing enough on the surface, it’s beyond reprehensible since Hage, who represents District 33 in the Florida House of Representatives, is co-sponsoring a bill aimed at helping The Villages avoid impact fee hikes being threatened by the Sumter County Commission.
Yes, you read that correctly. An employee of The Villages who serves in state government has introduced a highly controversial bill designed to help his employer avoid paying thousands upon thousands of dollars and in the process put the fees on the backs of the area residents he was elected to represent.
Hage’s employment with The Villages was revealed on a Form 6 Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests filed by him last year. The form shows that during 2019, he was paid $141,003 from the Holding Company of The Villages, located at 3619 Kiessel Road at Brownwood. He also was paid $113,554 from T&D Distribution Inc., $14,410 from T&D Concrete Inc. and $11,000 from T&D Supplies Inc. Hage’s state representative salary – one he clearly isn’t earning – was $29,697.
In case you’ve forgotten, Hage was working for T&D when he originally launched his bid for the statehouse, following the death of Villager Don Hahnfeldt. T&D owners Terry and Glendora Yoder are ardent supporters of The Villages Developer, largely because they’ve gotten rich and are getting richer every day pouring concrete slabs and pools throughout Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. So, we’re guessing when the Developer apparently decided Hage needed to be bought and paid for, Yoder had no problem giving up one of his top executives for the good of the cause.
Yes, folks, money talks.
Let’s remember that Hage’s bill didn’t come about until Sumter County commissioners got serious about possibly raising the ridiculously low impact fees the Developer pays. The issue came to the forefront in 2019 when the County Commission approved a 25 percent tax hike that cost three Villages-controlled puppets – Al Butler, Don Burgess and Steve Printz – their jobs as commissioners. They lost their seats to Craig Estep, Gary Search and Oren Miller, who vowed to restore order to a commission that clearly was controlled by the Developer every step of the way.
After impact fees became a hot issue among fed-up Villagers who were tired of having their wallets and pocketbooks raided, the Developer offered to pay a 40 percent increase that would bring the feels to just $1,372 per home. Commissioners said the amount was too low, largely because it’s substantially less than the $2,430 per home recommended in a 2019 study.
The commission originally had decided to put off an impact fee hike until July due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on local businesses. At that January meeting, the Developer conveniently stacked the room with construction workers and small business owners who made a big hullabaloo by claiming an impact fee would threaten their jobs, halt growth in the community, etc.
Please. We all know that’s a bunch of malarkey so Hage was called into action. We can only imagine the meeting when the Developer’s top political hack called a meeting with Villages “House” boy Hage to plan their next step.
We can hear it now, the top political operator spinning some yarn about how Hage would need to sponsor a bill that would benefit the very organization that signs his paycheck. We can just imagine the two of them planning out the bill that would limit impact fee increases to 3 percent annually and protect the Developer from paying his fair share. And we can hear the hearty chuckle they shared as they tossed ethics to the wind and moved forward with a plan to force Villagers to continue paying for the massive growth in the southern section of The Villages.
Note to Hage: Now would be a good time to look up the term “conflict of interest” and stop taking orders from the ethically challenged top political hack. Because while you might not care or understand it, the people who voted for you clearly get it. And when election time rolls around, we’re guessing they’re going to let you know it – the exact same way they sent a clear message to the puppet Sumter County commissioners who also took them for granted.
Here’s the good news – thanks to Hage’s ridiculous move, the Sumter County Commission voted 3-2 to move up its discussion about impact fees to Tuesday night, with a potential increase going into effect June 28. The two remaining puppet commissioners, T&D’s Doug Gilpin and Garry Breeden, voted against even hearing the issue, but luckily the three new commissioners pushed the issue.
You probably won’t find this as a surprise, but we don’t believe Hage carries much weight among his colleagues. Gov. Ron DeSantis once referred to him as “Brad” Hage when he visited the community. And whenever the governor comes here, the top political hack can be seen pushing the deer-in-the-headlights Hage to stand near DeSantis while he speaks. Frankly, it’s a sad display and one that is always embarrassing to watch.
If you ask us, The Villages “House” boy should hang his head in shame. He has shown that he has no ethics, doesn’t give a hoot about conflict of interest and only represents the Developer and his family. Clearly he doesn’t care about Villagers and their money and that should concern every person who lives in District 33.
Bought and paid for. It’s a term that has no place in government – much the same way Hage no longer has a place there, either.
