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Deconstructed
The Villages Crush a Grassroots Revolt
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The Villages Crush a Grassroots Revolt

In 2019, residents of The Villages, an iconic retirement community in Florida, were suddenly hit with a 25 percent hike in their property taxes. In the master-planned community of 130,000 across the state’s Sumter, Lake, and Marion counties, many residents are on fixed incomes. The tax hikes were intended to subsidize new developments south of the community, rather than cover new amenities or upgrades for current residents. The entity known locally either as “the developer” or “the family” benefited from the tax hike and could then escape paying fees associated with the expansion of their development. This week on Deconstructed, host Ryan Grim takes us to The Villages to meet residents who banded together to rollback the tax hike but who were ultimately blocked by powerful players. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the local political machine run by The Villages fought the residents, leading to one of their champions being thrown in jail.

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Drop Site News
Deconstructed
Each week we brings you one important or overlooked story from the political world. DC Bureau Chief Ryan Grim and a rotating cast of journalists, politicians, academics and historians tell you what the rest of the media are missing.