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Frequently Asked Questions
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Animal Control
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County Code 4-10 states that all dogs must be confined on owners property at all times or under direct control or on a leash when off the owners property.
Otherwise a citation will be issued for the animal running free. |
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It is a violation of County Code 4-7 to allow any dog to bark continuously.
When we are notified of a violation we will dispatch an Animal Control Officer to issue a verbal warning. |
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1. You will need to show proof of a current rabies vaccination.
2. You will have to show a current county animal tag if you are a resident of Sumter County.
3. You will have to pay any fine or fees due. |
Assessment Programs
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"Improved Property” is a parcel that has a structure/building on it,(it is no longer a vacant piece of land). This does not relate to improvements (window replacements, additions) made to the any of the structures located on the parcel. |
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Each district receives money through fire assessment fee collection and from the County’s general fund. The Villages Fire District has a third funding source, each Village resident pays an amenities fee that also goes toward thier fire services budget. |
BOCC
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An advanced agenda is available for each meeting after 2:00 pm on Friday afternoon prior to the meeting. View all available agendas.
For more information, please contact County Administration at (352) 793-0200.
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The Commissioners have regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 5:00 pm. They have workshops on the third Tuesday of every month at 5:00 pm. The Board may schedule additional workshops and special meetings as needed. Locations: Sumter County Government Offices
910 N Main Street
Room 142
Bushnell, FL 33513 Colony Cottage Regional Recreation Center
510 Colony Blvd.
The Parlor Room
The Villages, Fl 32162 |
Budget Department
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The proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year is available for viewing during August and September, in the County Administration Office, Room 206 in the Historic Courthouse. The approved budget is available for viewing after October 1 of the fiscal year in the in the County Administration Office, 910 North Main Street, Room 201, Bushnell, Florida 33513. |
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State law requires that two public hearings be held to discuss the budget. These hearings normally occur in September. The date, time, and place of the first hearing is always listed on your TRIM notice for each taxing authority. The second hearing is advertised in the newspaper with the date, time, and place.
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It is a tax based upon the value of the property. It is commonly referred to as "property tax".
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A special assessment is a charge levied on properties within a certain district to defray part or all of the cost of providing a certain service or improvement, such as street lighting, garbage collection, or fire/rescue. It is called a non-ad valorem assessment because it is on the property tax bill but is not based upon property value.
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The millage rate is the amount of property tax charged per $1,000 of taxable property value.
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TRIM is an acronym for the Truth In Millage Law, passed in 1980 by the Florida state legislature. It was designed to keep the public informed about the taxes as proposed by local taxing authorities. The TRIM notice is the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes required by this law. Property owners should receive a TRIM notice each August.
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The taxes due on a property are calculated by multiplying the taxable value of the property by the millage rate. For example, the property taxes on a home with a homestead exemption of $25,000 and a total tax rate, from all taxing authorities, of 20 mills can be calculated in this manner: Determine the taxable value of the property:
assessed value of home: 100,000
homestead exemption: -25,000
taxable value: 75,000 Divide the taxable value by 1,000 and multiply by the millage rate:
(75,000/1,000) X 20 = $1500
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A Taxing Authority is a unit of government that levies taxes for operational expense. Each Tax Authority must hold public hearings on their proposed budget. The most common authorities are: Board of County Commissioners, School Districts, Municipalities, Water Management Districts, and Basin Boards.
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Tax bills are mailed by November 1, and payment is due on or before March 31 of the following calendar year. Discounts are available for early payment. For more information on making property tax payments, please call the Tax Collector's Office at (352)793-0260.
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The Tax Collector's Office is responsible for collecting tax payments, which become delinquent after April 1 of each year. Please call the Tax Collector's Office at (352)793-0260.
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The rolled-back rate is the millage rate, based upon updated property value assessments, that would provide the same amount of revenue as the previous year's millage rate. New construction is excluded from this calculation.
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Fire rescue assessments are non-ad valorem assessments based on the development status of a parcel. Parcels that have improvements (or constructed structures/buildings) are assessed an annual rate. Parcels that have no improvements will not be assessed.
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Your tax bill may increase for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons are: Loss of homestead exemption or other change in exemption status Increase in assessed property value (i.e. increase in market value) Increase in millage rate by one or more taxing authority Column 2 on your TRIM notice contains the amounts you paid last year for each component of your property tax. Comparing this amount to the proposed amount for the upcoming year should help you to locate an item that may have increased.
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The assessed value of your home is based upon the market value of the entire property. However, there is a limit on the amount a residential property's assessment can increase each year. If the market value of your home has increased substantially in the last few years, it is likely that your assessed value will indeed be lower than your current market value. For more information on how your assessed value is determined, contract the Property Appraiser's Office at (352)793-0210.
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Property owners should first contact the Property Appraiser's Office at (352)793-0210. Property owners may decide to file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board to have the assessment adjusted. These petitions must be received by the VAB before the deadline in mid-September, 25 days after the TRIM notices are mailed by the Property Appraiser's Office.
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You can apply for a homestead exemption at the Property Appraiser's Office. There is no fee to apply for the homestead exemption. As long as ownership does not change and you continue to use this residence as your primary residence, the exemption will remain in effect.
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Bonds are "loans" that a government takes out to pay for the acquisition and construction of public facilities and infrastructure. Bonds are financed by funds from private investors who "purchase" a portion of a bond issue in exchange for interest and principal that the government pays to the investors for the term of the bonds. A government issuing bonds for a new public facility, like a library, is much like an individual taking out a mortgage to pay for a new home. Bonds are used to finance long-term capital projects.
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The County millage comparison chart can be found below. Millage Rates |
Building Services
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Unless there are unusual circumstances, permits are issued within 3-7 days of application. If there is a problem, you will be contacted by email or phone. |
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If your project value exceeds $2,500 (mechanical projects-$7,500) a Notice of Commencement is required to be filed with the Clerk of Court. |
Code Enforcement
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Complaints may be submitted in person at:
Code Enforcement
910 N. Main St.
Suite 301
Bushnell, FL 33513By phone at (352) 793-0270 Ext. 2352.
By submitting the following form. Code Compliance Complaint Form |
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All anonymous complaints must be filed with County Administration. |
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The first letter is a Courtesy Notice of Violation, the second letter is a Notice of Violation, and the final letter is a Request for Hearing. |
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Extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis. |
Contractor Licensing
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The competency card application fee is $100. |
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Your completed application package must be received in our office three weeks prior to the scheduled Contractor Licensing Board meeting. |
County Administration
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You need to call the Property Appraiser at (352) 793-0210. |
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You need to call the Fire Assessments Department and speak with Tina Chavez at (352) 793-0200 ext. 2487. |
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You should call Department of Children and Families at (352) 330-2162. |
Development Review
Fire Rescue
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Sumter County Fire Rescue is funded by the County’s General Fund along with revenue from the Fire Assessment Fund. The Fire Assessment Fund goes directly to fund the fire service. By Florida Statute, these funds cannot be co-mingled with other funds, nor can they be used for any other government purpose. The Fire Assessment Fund helps decrease reliance on the County’s General Fund to provide emergency response readiness of the County’s Fire Service.
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Revenue from Fire Assessments has been used to improve your local fire station’s equipment, apparatus and training levels, thereby increasing their ability to serve your needs and making your property eligible for lower fire insurance rates through improved Insurance Service Office (ISO) ratings. Future Fire Assessment funds will be utilized to help improve staffing in fire stations throughout Sumter County. Sumter County citizens, visitors and businesses receive the benefits of full service Fire Rescue capabilities including: Medical First Response, Extrication, Hazardous Materials Operations, Disaster Response Mitigation, Fire Prevention, Public Education and Fire Suppression, regardless of where you live. Fire Assessments provide for accountability in tracking revenue and expenditures for fire service within the community. |
Fire Rescue Assessment
GIS
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Yes, check the pricing o the GIS fee schedule. Pre-made maps are available for download at no charge. Custom maps vary depending on size and time spent creating the map. |
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The Sumter County Property Appraisers office maintains the county parcel (ownership) layer and therefore should be contacted if there is a possible discrepancy. Most other layers in the map are maintained by the Sumter County GIS Department. |
Housing Department
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You may apply when the list opens, usually in December, but you should call our office first to verify the date. To see the qualifications for the program visit Rental Assistance. |
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New homes are built to replace substandard housing within the community. To see if you qualify, please visit Housing Repair. |
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First, get pre-approved by a lender, then fill out an application and call to make an appointment to return the application. For program guidelines, please visit Down Payment Assistance. |
Human Resources
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You may download an application from our website and email it to Christina.Zapata@sumtercountyfl.gov, mail it to Human Resources, 910 North Main Street, Bushnell, FL 33513, fax it to 352-793-0245, or bring it to the Human Resources Department. |
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When the position has been filled, the successful applicant will be notified via phone. The unsuccessful applicant/s will receive a letter of notification in the mail. |
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2-3 weeks after the closing date. |
Impact Fees
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An impact fee is a one time charge applied to new construction.
The purpose of the fee is to fund capital projects for roads (such as construction, land acquisition,) and fire services (such as station construction, engines).
Impact fees can be charges for parks, schools, jails, ambulances and other infrastructure needs that may occur due to new development. Funds collected cannot be used for operation, maintenance, or repair to capital facilities. |
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Impact fees were adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in order to collect money from new development to pay for the new facilities required by growth. New development brings more traffic on our roads, and need for fire / rescue services.
Development impact fees are a financial tool to help reduce the gap between the money required to build new public facilities to serve new residents and the money available for that purpose. |
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Sumter County collects impact fees for Road Improvements and Fire Services. |
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The total amount of the impact fees are required to be paid at the time the permit is issued. |
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No, remodeling, alterations, and minor expansions to residential structures are exempt from the payment of an impact fee, as long as side changes do not create an additional dwelling unit.
Only changes to structure usage and/or major addition of square footage may incur additional impact fee charges to an existing structure. |
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Yes, impact fees are imposed and calculated for the alteration or expansion of an existing building if the usable square footage is increased, or if a change in the use constitutes a different impact fee land use category.
The amount of the fee is imposed and calculated based on the applicable impact fee for the new use less the impact fee that would be imposed prior to the alteration or change in use. |
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Yes, impact fees are charged for all new development within each development area. |
Library Services
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You will need to visit any of the eight libraries in the County and show appropriate identification.
Patron Registration |
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You can request a PIN Number or change your existing PIN Number.
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Misdemeanor Probation
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Sumter County charges a monthly supervision fee for all supervised cases. Payments are only accepted in the form of money orders made out to Sumter B.O.C.C., and mailed to Sumter County Probation, 115 N. Florida Street, Bushnell, FL 33513. Ensure that your name and case number are clearly printed on the money order. The probation office will not accept hand-delivered money orders. |
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All monthly appointments with your officer are scheduled during your previous appointment. Normal appointments are scheduled for 15 minutes. If you feel you need additional time, your officer will schedule longer times upon your request. |
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Only your assigned officer can change your appointment. You are required to arrive on time for your appointments, but if an emergency arises, contact your officer immediatley so that appropriate action can be taken. Lack of communication can result in a warrant being issued for violation of probation. |
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A contract offered by the State Attorney's office for a specific period of time, with preset conditions to be completed by the defendant. Upon successful completion of all conditions, no criminal prosecution of the specified charges will be pursued. |
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Court costs and fines are paid directly to Sumter County Clerk's office, as outlined on your payment plan, and must be paid in full no later than 30 days prior to your probation ending. If court costs and fines have not been paid 30 days prior to the term date, a warrant can be issued for violation of probation. |
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If you will be gone from your home more than 24 hours, and the travel is within the State of Florida, you will need to call your officer for permission before you travel, AND provide an addresss, telephone number (preferably a landline), and the name of the person with whom you will be staying; advise when you plan to leave and return; mode of travel and who is traveling with you.
If you work outside the county, speak to your officer and keep your officer updated as to your location. |
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You are not allowed to leave the state or move out of the state. Special travel permits can be authorized for out-of-state travel due to emergencies. Only your assigned officer can prepare a travel permit and the supervisor must be available to approve all travel permits. As travel permits can take from 1 to 30 days to process, contact your officer as soon as possible to arrange permission. |
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There are several factors that can violate your probation or revoke a Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) contract. Some examples include, but are not limited to, missed or late appointments, failing to show for weekend work detail, new law violations, leaving the area without permission, failing to complete all terms of probation or PTI 30 days prior to term date, and failing to comply with any condition of probation or PTI. If you feel you might be in violation, contact your probation officer immediately to discuss the situation. |
Mosquito Control
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Without control programs the mosquito population would flourish and cause potential health and comfort problems. From a health standpoint, mosquitoes are known carriers of encephalitis, malaria, yellow fever, and dengue viruses. Mosquito-borne diseases cause more than one million deaths each year around the world. Mosquito bites can infect a pet with the deadly canine heartworm. |
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Yes. A well planned, integrated program involves stopping mosquitoes in both the larval and adult stages. Mosquitoes can migrate up to 15 miles, which overrides local larval control efforts. This results in the need for adult mosquito control. |
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No. Industry and government testing procedures are so advanced and so demanding that it is virtually impossible to use a control product which could have an adverse effect upon people, animals, or plant life. The insecticides being used today are not only highly effective, but also degrade rapidly. |
Parks & Recreation
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Dogs are only allowed at Lake Miona Park, Lake Okahumpka Park, and Marsh Bend "Outlet" Park. Pet stations are located at these parks in order to keep the parks clean and sanitary. |
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All pavilions are on a first-come, first-served basis. |
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You may reserve a county-maintained community building by coming into the Public Works office or completing the online Facility Usage Agreement. When you return the completed agreement to the Public Works office, the reservation will be confirmed (if available), or denied (if already reserved). |
Planning
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The Sumter County Comprehensive Plan is a document that establishes the basic framework for development within Sumter County. All development within Sumter County must be consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the Sumter County Comprehensive Plan. |
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Florida law allows the Sumter County Comprehensive Plan to be amended through a public hearing process with the Board of County Commissioners and final review and approval by the State of Florida. Contact Sumter County Planning at (352) 793-0270 for more information regarding the amendment process. |
Public Works
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The Public Works Division oversees four departments, which include Road and Bridge, Solid Waste, Mosquito Control, and Parks and Recreation. Specific tasks are associated with each individual department. |
Purchasing
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The Sumter County BOCC has contracted with Onvia, Inc. to automate its procurement process and maintain a vendor information system on the Onvia DemandStar website.
Vendors may register to receive notification of solicitations for bids, proposals, and quotes from Sumter County, free of charge.
If you would like more information about Onvia DemandStar services, please call (800) 711-1712 or visit the Onvia DemandStar website. |
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For a list of current projects, please visit our bid website. |
Road & Bridge
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If the roadway you are inquiring about begins with either a C-, CR, or has a name designation, then yes it is a roadway maintained by Sumter County. (eg: C-466, C-470, CR 106, CR 616, Cimarron Avenue, San Pedro Drive) Roads that begin with a directional designation, such as NW or SE, are in the 911 road system and are not maintained by Sumter County. For information concerning the 911 road system, contact Tina Chavez at (352) 793-0200 ext: 2487. (eg: SE 26th Drive, NE 54th Way) |
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The right of way width varies depending on the road. For the most accurate answer, please contact the Road and Bridge Department at (352) 793-0240, and ask to speak to one of our engineering technicians. |
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If you would like to report a dead animal on the County right of way, please call Sumter County Animal Control at (352) 793-1470 |
Solid Waste
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Although the County does not provide curbside recycling, recyclables are accepted at the Solid Waste Facility. Recycling bins are located just to the south of the scale house and are for pre-sorted recyclable household items. No fee is charged for recycling |
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The following items (ONLY) are accepted at the Solid Waste Facility at no cost to the citizens, if the citizen sorts them and place them in the designated recycling bins:
- Cardboard
- Plastic milk containers
- Plastic soda and water containers
- Newspapers
- Aluminum cans
- Tin cans
- Used motor oil
- Automotive batteries
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In conjunction with Marion County and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the County co-hosts an annual Amnesty Day (usually in the spring). This event provides an opportunity for residents and businesses of Sumter County to dispose of household hazardous waste. |
Transit
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To reserve your ride, please call (352) 568-6683 between 8:00 am - 1:00 pm. |
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From your door to your destination door anywhere in Sumter County. Medical trips extend to the Leesburg and Villages areas. Services are provided Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to the VA and Shands Hospital in Gainesville. |
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Door to Door - $1.50 each way
Gainesville Trips - $8 each way
Shuttle Routes - $.50 |
Veteran Services
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Maybe, eligibility is determined by several factors. Veterans with a service connected disability or in-country Vietnam service are entitled to enroll via VA Form10-10EZ (available at our office). Other veterans may qualify based on a financial means test. Reserve or National Guard veterans must have served on active duty for other than training purposes. |
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It is highly recommended. Please call either our Villages office at (352) 753-2686, or the Bushnell office at (352) 793-0235. |
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No, our offices are open to all veterans. |
Zoning
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The Sumter County Land Development Regulations establish specific zoning classifications and development standards for property in Sumter County. All development activity and use of property must be consistent with the Sumter County Land Development Code. |
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Contact Sumter County Zoning at (352) 793-0270 for the specific requirements and process for rezonings, special uses, temporary uses, and other zoning approvals. Typically, the zoning approvals take approximately 30-45 days. Depending upon the specific zoning approval request, the review and approval may be by staff, the Zoning and Adjustment Board, or the Board of County Commissioners. |
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