Isolated thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Isolated thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in October 2021 a $6 million grant from the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in October 2021 a $6 million grant from the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity. 

Sumter County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved accepting state money from a grant that will improve access at the Gov. Rick Scott Industrial Park. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in October 2021 a $6 million grant from the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity. The funds will be used by the county to expand County Road 525E from two lanes to four lanes on a 1.5-mile stretch from U.S. Highway 301 to CR 514. 

The improved road eventually will service the future Rep. Marlene O’Toole Industrial Park to the east of U.S. 301, which will have about 7 million square feet of light industrial space, and the planned 2,000-acre Monarch Grove Industrial Area to the north.

The county will pay $500,000 toward the design and permitting of the road improvement project and will be reimbursed $6 million from the state for construction costs. 

The immediate success of the Gov. Rick Scott Industrial Park is a major reason why the state awarded the grant, DeSantis said during a visit to DZ Precast Solutions last year. 

“There’s already been $100 million invested in this industrial park,” DeSantis said. “We want to make sure to continue to keep that momentum going.”

The complex has been humming since the first business opened in 2020. The industrial projects combined are projected to add $632 million to Sumter County’s gross domestic product and an additional $336 million in personal income to county residents. 

DZ Corporation, which includes DZ Precast Solutions, DZ Concrete and DZ Block, has heavily invested at the industrial park. Other businesses include MiCo Customs, The Villages Commercial Design Division and The Villages Daily Sun printing plant. C.W. Roberts Contracting is planning to begin work on an asphalt plant there this year.

The increase in industrial and manufacturing businesses is already providing a benefit to Sumter residents.

The tax dollars brought in by those businesses helped lead to the county’s largest property tax rate cut in 15 years. The Sumter County board — complete with two recent appointees from DeSantis — earlier this month approved a 9.1% rate cut. 

The 2023 maximum rate will be $5.59 per $1,000 of assessable value — the biggest decrease since prior to the 2008 recession That means a home with an assessed value of $300,000 would incur $1,677 in property taxes. Commissioners still can further lower that rate in the final budget, but cannot raise it. Approval for that budget will come after public hearings on Sept. 13 and 27. 

In other business on Tuesday:

About 100 people attended the meeting to voice their disapproval of a proposed extension of Florida’s Turnpike. County administrator Bradley Arnold the commission has not changed its position in supporting a “no build” option or a suggested alternate route the board submitted to the Florida Department of Transportation in February that would offer protection to the historic African American community of Royal as well as established businesses in those areas. 

Commissioners set a public hearing for Aug. 9 to establish rates, user fees and related charges for services performed or rendered by Sumter County Fire and EMS. 

Specialty Editor Keith Pearlman can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5347, or keith.pearlman@thevillagesmedia.com.

Isolated thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Isolated thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 87F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

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