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New proposed stormwater assessment in Seminole County Florida

If you live in unincorporated Seminole County Florida, you better pay attention to this.  Seminole County government has decided that now is the right time to add to your property taxes another $70.10 for a standard residential home and nearly $100 per acre for rural properties. OUCH!

   

I got to speak for a few minutes with Fiscal Services at Seminole County and was explained that this new tax is a result of NPDES permits (water and drainage stuff) under the federal Clean Water Act from some 13 years ago. I'm not quite sure why it took the county this long to finally start dealing with this law.  Go figure.  Nevertheless now the county is trying to impose this new tax on all property owners throughout unincorporated Seminole County. 

What bothers me the most about this is that if you plan on taxing me or increasing fees, then I as a taxpayer should be receiving a direct benefit.  That's what non-ad valorem assessments are for.  Your property is being charged for a direct benefit like trash pickup, street lighting, retention ponds, etc. 

This particular assessment is much more general in nature.  According to the mailed notice the assessment is for (1) stormwater runoff, (2) nutrient load reduction, (3) administration -- whatever those mean???  To me that is wrong and questionably not permitted by state law especially if the county has no immediate plan to make improvements in the neighborhood surrounding your property.  Some of my rental properties don't have sewer lines, storm sewer, curb cuts, drainage ditches, or retention ponds and yet I and thousands of other homeowners are supposed to pay extra money for maybe something in the future???

I do realize that these federal mandates continue to raise the cost of living for everybody and the people that they hurt the most are the poor and middle class homeowners and small business owners.  The exact people that many in Washington claim they are looking to protect and not raise taxes on.  Don't you believe these politicians and bureaucrats one bit. Their over-regulation causes new taxes just like this one.

 

Regardless though the public is welcome to make their voices known at a hearing in Sanford on September 9, 2009 at 6:00p.m. at the Seminole County Services Building located at 1101 East First Street Room 1028, Sanford, FL 32771.

The Fiscal Services department will be taking written objections through September 8.  Additionally you can contact your local Seminole County Commissioner and voice your opinion to them as well.

More information on this proposed storm water assessment tax:  

Orlando Sentinel article    Seminole County government website 

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com   www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com  

http://webuyhousesfl.wordpress.com 

Our firm also provides flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Florida including Orlando, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Apopka, Kissimmee, Clermont, Casselberry, Sanford, Lake Mary, and Deltona.

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6 comments • Rob Arnold, metro Orlando full service, investor friendly & foreclosure Realtor • August 26 2009 02:13PM

Comments

Oh boy, Rob, I can see that some owners in unincorporated Seminole County are going to be up in arms about this.  Many here in Florida are already unhappy because their tax bills did not go down under Florida Save Our Homes, but property values did.

Posted by Sandy Shores, Broker-Associate Melbourne FL Real Estate M & M Real Estate Inc. (Brevard County Real Estate/ Melbourne & Palm Bay Real Estate) over 2 years ago

Thanks for your blog Rob. My assessment is $760 for land that hasn't been tampered with since God put it there!! Virtually no time has been given to absorb and assess the situation; let alone raise the funds on my fixed income.  And even if there is a way to reduce this through having impervious areas certified, it can't be done until next year (with no refund, I'm sure)!

Posted by Nancy Romanoff over 2 years ago

A lot of the assessments have errors.  There is a form available where, guess what, you get to put in your own information about your properties impervious area and nutrient load levels, like we are all chemists.  The reason for this is the entire State of Florida told the Fed. EPA to go fish for the past 10 years, and now we are gonna get sued over water quality & the clean water act.  The whole thing stinks, all the water from Sanford, Oviedo, Lake Mary, end up in the Seminole County drainage basin, and the amount needed to clean up just Lake Jesup is $50,000,000 to $90,000,000. I suggest you quickly get ahold of the county study by CDM & URS, "Seminole County Total Maximum Daily Load Funding Study," 81 pages & you can download from the county msbu web site.

The rub to this is that all the unincorporated taxpayers are getting stuck with a giant assessment, which is really a TAX, opps, did I say that outloud?

So, be sure to be at the September 9th meeting and be ready to RUMBLE!

 

Posted by Eric esterson over 2 years ago

Nancy and Eric - You need to be rounding up the neighbors in your area and get them contacting the county commission along with submitted written objections to the county.  If they get bombarded with phone calls, emails, and letters, they might just listen.  There is power in numbers.

Posted by Rob Arnold, metro Orlando full service, investor friendly & foreclosure Realtor (Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc.) over 2 years ago

William R. (Bill) Daniel                                                                                    September 8, 2009
2075 Palm Ave.
Oviedo, Florida 32765
CaptBillD@mac.com
407-977-3214
 
To: Seminole County Commission
 
Re:  Stormwater fees
 
Dear Commissioners:
 
     After receiving a $2000.00 bill for rainwater falling on the 35 unimproved acres I own in Black Hammock, I called a lot of people. Your people reduced it to about $500. If you then expect me to say “Oh Good!” you are mistaken. I feel the entire stormwater fee issue as proposed by Seminole County is a scam. It is more of the Racketeering the government of Seminole County is known for.
 
     I spoke to Vivian Garfein, District Director of DEP for the Central Region. She told me that collecting an outrageous fee for rain falling on acreage was not the way to go. She feels a reasonable fee for water running off an “improved” impervious surface is something you could look at.
 
     I understand the county has spent nearly $500,000.00 for consultant fees to tell you how to best rob us of our money. I can only expect some county person has an in-law (Outlaw) in the consulting business. You are spending our money to attack us!
 
     I object to your plan to draw millions of gallons of water from the St. Johns River. I supported the Riverkeepers plan to keep you from doing it. They lost. You are using our money to put them out of business via a SLAPP SUIT. In essence you are threatening us with the same. If we protest, you will use our money to file suit against us. We can’t win because the people who should represent us are representing Boss Hogg and the Good Ole Boys who really run Seminole County. 
 
     The FBI has told a friend that they consider Seminole County Government to be the most corrupt in all of Florida. 
 
     I know how threats work. Seven years ago when I let it be known that I was going to run for Seminole County Commission, Boss Hogg had me charged with a felony trespass charge. I know people too, and a top investigator for FWC from Tallahassee proved it was a phony charge. Even though it is a felony to make false charges, it seems the Sheriff’s Department Records are now missing. It seems Boss Hogg has the sheriff in his pocket.
 
     I have been shot at several times, robbed twice, A deputy told me they have to see it happen. My daughter was chased 20 miles across Seminole County by a multi-convicted thug who was not in prison. (20 years old, 6 felony convictions – someone is helping these people) The 911 operators from Seminole County and Oviedo were party to it all (helping and advising the thugs) and the deputies were communicating via cell phone and blinking lights. A deputy came to my house when I complained about the 911 operators directing the thugs to enter my posted property. He told me that if I didn’t let it go, the perpetrator’s brother, also a multi-convicted felon, would get me - and there was nothing they could do about it. 
 
     I went to the Sheriff’s Internal Affairs to make a complaint against the deputy. The Internal Affairs People would not take my statements. They were not going to settle for anything less than my saying the words they were making up. I came to realize that I would not leave there alive if I did not tell them I made the whole thing up.
 
     The FBI told me that if I were to call 911, I could expect to be the target. That sucks, but I hope my next of kin, if they leave any, will have one hell of a civil rights suit against you people.
The point : The people need to know why the same people (or the same sort) are still in office; some not opposed. They need to know the facts about the 4000 acres of public recreational land that is used as Boss Hogg’s personal hunt club. They need to know of the cover-up relating to this land that was fabricated by the County Commission about eight years ago. They need to know the lease, which was a swap of public submerged land for a 20 year lease of public recreational land, is up for renewal.
 
     I was a party to a Legislative Bill which was passed years ago to clean up Lake Jesup. The original bill is on my computer and the House version was my house number (2075). House Speaker, Tom Feeney got us about $28,000,000.00 to clean up the lake.
 
     Seminole County opposed The Friends of Lake Jesup behind the scenes, and made little or no effort to help us in public; your lobbyists in Tallahassee stuck a fork in it. It is all about development and your friends, the development community. With no help from Rep. Sandy Adams, we lost the $28 million. Could she be a Good Ole Boy?
 
     It would have ruined the development atmosphere if developers were forced to clean up their stormwater before it entered a clean lake.
 
     Tell us where the money you want to steal from us is to go! I think it is going to your friends in the development community. They will skim most of it off the top, and use the rest to clean up their projects that they never should have built.  (most of the developers have made plans for it – in New Zealand - once they retire and leave this county)
 
     I know it will not go to clean up our waterways, as you are doing your best to drain them. I know it will not be used to stop the major polluters as they are exempt. ie,  The City of Sanford has violated every discharge rule on the books, and have put tons and tons of pollution into Lake Jesup from their Site 10 effluent spray field. They separate the solids and then spread the solids over the site, a non-recharge area, after which the pollution enters Lake Jesup. Their actions are defended or ignored at every opportunity. All the ranches that allow sludge dumping are exempt!
 
     I would bet Boss Hogg and his airport is exempt also, after all we can be forced to pay for another of Sanford’s debacles. Most of us don’t live or vote in Sanford, they can do as they please and we have no representation as they pollute our airways and waterways.
 
     Bottom line…  We come to a public meeting, the outcome of which has likely been decided around some hunt club campfire, to beg you to have mercy on us. The money will be collected or we lose our homes and land, the developers get it and donate some of it to your campaigns. You don’t worry about legitimate competition as the racketeers running the local republican party will handle that end of it.
 
     Oh, the election office is on Boss Hogg’s place, how convenient.
 
     I want The County Manager, Cindy Coto, FIRED!!!  I want each of you to resign. I want to see The Good Ole Boys put in Federal Prison for Racketeering and Civil Rights Violations.
 
Sincerely
 
 
 
William R. (Bill) Daniel

Posted by Bill Daniel over 2 years ago

Bill - There are a lot of politicians in Seminole County government that have been in place a little too long with no opposition.  It is time for some changes.

Posted by Rob Arnold, metro Orlando full service, investor friendly & foreclosure Realtor (Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc.) over 2 years ago

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