To the Editor:
In the July 29th Developer-owned The Villages Daily Sun there is a front-page article titled “Baxley, Hage’s Work Earns A+ From Nonprofit’s Legislative Scorecard.” This is a quote from Brett Hage in that article: “My goals were achieved and my grade reflects it,” Hage said. “I go to Tallahassee to drive and support common-sense conservative, pro-business, and pro-law enforcement legislation in which all Floridians may prosper. We were successful.” As expected, important facts were missing in that article. What about “pro-property-owner” legislation?
In 2019, there was a 25 percent property tax rate increase in Sumter County to help pay for new roads to support the growth of The Villages. Where was the Hage/Baxley bill to help all the property owners by limiting the amount that property tax rate could be increased and made that bill retroactive to stop the 25 percent rate increase?
In the 2024 election the voters need to replace state Representative Brett Hage, who received a $350,000 paycheck from The Villages and in 2021 succeeded in passing a bill that hampers the shifting the tax burden for new roads supporting the expansion of The Villages from the current property owners in Sumter County to the developer of The Villages. That bill was retroactive to January 1, 2021, and limited future increases to 12.5 percent per year, and requires four of our five county commissioners to approve any increase. That bill helped the Developer.
John Kastura
Village of Belvedere