New homes and businesses will cover more of the cost for roads in Sumter County, where The Villages continues to expand rapidly.

The County Commission voted 3 to 2 Tuesday night to increase road impact fees by 75%.

Commissioner Gary Search proposed that amount, which is short of the maximum in a recent study.

“I’m looking for a balanced and equitable and fair distribution because, if the money doesn’t come from impact fees to do the roads in the regional road agreement, then it comes from the General Fund,” he said. “And if there’s not enough money in the General Fund, then we tax the people.”

The fee increase will bring in more than $3 million a year.

Supporters want The Villages’ developer, not homeowners, to bear more of the burden for new roads.

Opponents say it hurts new business, jobs and affordable housing.

Commissioner Doug Gilpin voted no.

“It’s a sad day to see the big government coming to Sumter County,” he said. “There’s absolutely no need for this tax increase. It’s being done for purely political reasons.”

Commissioner Oren Miller wanted even higher fees.

“No current residents, no current businesses, should have to pay for the infrastructure that’s going in down south,” he said.

It was a 25 percent property tax increase in 2019  that led to last year’s turnover on the commission and, ultimately, to these higher fees.