To the Editor:
On May 11, 2021, Sumter County Commissioner Oren Miller cast the lone vote to spend $46,495 of taxpayer money for a consultant to review the county’s non-ad valorem and impact fee programs. This proposal would have looked into the feasibility of charging additional fees to any new or expanding Sumter County business.
Since taking office, Commissioner Miller’s actions have not been business friendly, indicating that he would like to slow or stop growth in the county. Mr. Miller continues to provoke a mentality of “make the developer and other businesses pay” with the intention of infuriating Sumter County residents who think The Villages is already too big. It is amazing that Oren Miller, who is a Democrat that ran as a Republican, is spending all his time on determining how to increase fees and taxes with no discussion on how to cut spending. He has yet to explain how he plans to achieve his campaign promise of “rolling back” the 25 percent increase on property taxes.
Thankfully, the other four commissioners voted against the taxpayer-funded review of raising fees and taxes. Since being elected to the County Commission, Mr. Miller’s actions have been overwhelmingly anti-growth. What Mr. Miller fails to realize is that Sumter County either prospers and grows or stagnates and dies. Hopefully, the other four commissioners will continue to push back on Mr. Miller’s anti-growth agenda and develop their own long-term vision of economic prosperity.
Philip Johnson
Webster