A Community Development District 6 supervisor on Friday said he and his fellow supervisors are on the “front lines” of explaining to fellow residents about the independent fire district referendum which will appear on the November ballot.
Sumter County voters will be deciding the fate of the referendum that would create an independent fire protection district for The Villages Public Safety Department. The referendum grew out of many meetings last year that appeared to threaten the future of The Villages Public Safety Department.
However, the exact cost of the independent district to residents is not clear. Much of it hangs on the budget and upcoming decisions by the Sumter County Commission. Villager Gail Lazenby, a former Villages Public Safety Department official, attempted to explain how the funding formula works in a recent Letter to the Editor.
CDD 6 Supervisor Peter Moeller said he and other officials are on the “front lines” in receiving inquiries from residents.
“We need to be able to explain this,” Moeller said at Friday’s CDD 6 Board of Supervisors meeting at SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
He told a story of a call he recently received from a woman whose amenity fees went up by $15.
“She was quite distraught. For her $15 was a lot of money,” Moeller said.
He was seeking information from District staff which could encapsulate an explanation of the independent fire district funding formula that will be relatable to residents.
“I think we have to have a good story,” Moeller said.
Fellow Supervisor Linda Grzesik said it will be hard to pinpoint the numbers until Sumter County renders a decision.
