The Village of Newell sits in the south area where the community keeps growing and you'll notice some homes, especially in Eastport and Sawgrass, have tankless hot water heaters, but some houses don't have natural gas, though in-ground tanks can still be approved if residents want them, and the homes here come in lots of sizes, some of the biggest around, particularly in Brownwood, with neighborhoods spreading from about 11.5 to 24 square miles, and while some houses were built before the 2002 Hurricane Building Codes - which means insurance might cost a bit more - others, especially in Brownwood and Eastport/Sawgrass, meet those codes and have insurance rates about the same as the new places. Property tax rates circle between 1.03% and 1.59%, and recently, folks heard about some maintenance assessment hikes, with Community Development District 14-which includes Newell, Lake Denham, and Dabney-seeing a 56 percent increase, and those assessments show up once a year on the tax bill to help with landscaping and upkeep throughout the community. Maintenance fees, by the way, are separate from amenity fees. Newell's got pools in its recreation centers, parks and dog parks, several golf courses with 5 Championship Courses and 13 Executive Courses, community sports courts, nature trails, the polo grounds, and other places for outdoor activities, and if you're into the arts you'll find The Sharon Performing Arts Center and The Savannah Center nearby. You'll see the Southern Oaks Bridge bringing people and their golf carts across the Florida Turnpike and with practice ranges, Lake Sumter has one but other areas have up to two, and there are four country clubs serving the area. Golf's a big deal around here, with trail fees, regular refurbishment, and course maintenance, sometimes needed due to heavy use, which they keep an eye on.
Residents use Village IDs, and there are regular roving ID checks-Community Watch staff do at least three checks a day at the pools and dog parks and random ID checks at different organized play areas to make sure only authorized folks use these spots, and they're pretty active in stopping unauthorized use at places like pools and executive golf courses, with Community Watch and the Recreation Department running policies to keep things fair. The Villages Fire Department's here for emergencies, and The Villages Rehab gives rehab care with doctors, rehab nurses, and therapists. Newell's made mostly for seniors, with places like RV storage, bulletin boards, The Enrichment Academy for educational programs, and rec offerings like socials, camp villages, S.T.A.R., senior games, championship softball, the Running of the Squares event, Fit Club, fishing, and outdoor trips. Residents have access to license bureaus, stores, and businesses right there in their community, plus town halls and public hearings, including ones at Everglades Recreation Center where people can ask questions or talk about rates. Community Watch, the Recreation Department, and different administrative groups handle everything from budget management and risk to customer service and district rules, and the current rules come from Ordinance 24-44 as of July 2024. Utility services cover water, irrigation, sanitation, boil water notices, and things like bulk pick-up, along with customer help for starting, stopping, or billing information. Community standards, resident services, CDD orientation, the adopt-a-bench program, and a resident academy are among the services. Most days, life here flows along with routine ID checks, repairs, and programs planned so residents can use the amenities safely and enjoy the unique features that Newell and its surrounding districts offer for seniors looking for care, activities, or just a nice walk on a nature trail.