Officials in The Villages are encouraging residents to attend Tuesday night’s Sumter County Commission meeting.
Sumter County Administrator Bradley Arnold will be presenting several options for the commissioners to consider, including
• A short term contract extension for Sumter County to continue providing EMS and transport services until The Villages Public Safety Department assumes responsibility.
• Provide support of a dependent versus independent fire service district.
“Both a contract extension and Dependent District would require annual budget approval from Sumter County. The creation of an Independent District under Florida Statute 191 would be led by an elected resident board (similar to the District Government structure that is already in place in The Villages) that is solely focused on the provision of Fire and EMS services,” said District Manager Richard Baier.
He added that its funding sources are “transparent” and linked only to those services that the customer population deems appropriate and necessary for its population basis.
“The Independent District occurs if and only if the customers of such a District vote in a referendum for support of such a District after the legislature authorizes its creation within a bill. As the government has repeatedly witnessed, it is very important to both involve and let its residents guide the provision of its services,” Baier said.
Assistant District Manager Carrie Duckett echoed Baier’s remarks Friday at meetings of the boards of supervisors for Community Development Districts 1 through 4, encouraging attendance at the Sumter County Commission meeting.
The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Everglades Recreation Center.
