[Velvet]

The web site mentioned above is blocked out. I’m in district 6, does anyone know how much the fees are going to be?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Mikeod

Please remember that without the current cap, many households would already be paying more than currently. The cap was originally established to address a large disparity in amenity fees between residents and because revenue was adequate to cover expenses.

Why the change? The disparity has diminished as those below the cap have seen their fee rise toward that amount while those already there have enjoyed stable fees. The district has now adjusted projected expenses to include necessary refurbishment and/or replacement of amenities. (The original lawsuit that resulted in the AAC north of 466 was filed because there was insufficient funds allocated to adequately maintain amenities.)

Removing or increasing the cap does not remove the limit to how much your amenity fee can rise each year. You are not facing a 25% rise in one or two years.

I have read your posts for the last dozen year and know that you are very aware of what is going on and have reasonable expectations and no axe to grind.

Thank you for this explanation.

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by Velvet

The web site mentioned above is blocked out. I’m in district 6, does anyone know how much the fees are going to be?

I'm sorry, for some reason TOTV does not always let us copy items from the online newspaper. I will send you the link in a PM and see i that works for you.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Velvet

The web site mentioned above is blocked out. I’m in district 6, does anyone know how much the fees are going to be?

None of that has been decided...…………..

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Bowtorc

The raising of fees brings to mind a few questions:

There was no mention of such a need two years ago when we purchased. Now they can see 10 years ahead?
What are the monies used for by item?
With a 70 million dollar budget I was expected to have a cost reduction program. What has been done in the villages?
Will we all be paying for new facilities south of 44?
The contract we signed when purchasing was no good? So I can decide also what I want to change, like bond?
The presentation for raising rates stated that failure to raise would result in a loss of 50 million. It could very easily be taken to mean we would be 50 in the hole. This should be a prediction of our current status in 10 years.
I seriously doubt that anyone can predict ten years ahead!
Are we allowed to see a line item of past and future budget and actual?
Are we being asked for such a large raise in anticipation of all settling for something less?
I understand that 40 50 dollars per month would be no problem for some but a significant problem for others A 25 % increase for such a short term seems a little much.
I also understand that some will take issue with my concerns but I think several others would also agree.
Just my opinion.

A

By your join date you have been here 3 years, surely by now you know all those budget meetings are open to the public. Better to get your answers there then on here... which most of the time is speculation.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

It is my understanding that this is being considered only in the area that sued the developer and won control of running that area.

Not in any area south of 466. Champion, Bogie Shooter, CWGuy? Am I wrong or right?

Yep, wrong.

[justjim]

The current set-up only gives a “break” to those who stay put and don’t purchase another house. Even though I have lived in The Villages for 13 years and paid my amenity fees, If I move (new or resale) I will pay more. Go figure. Somehow that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by justjim

The current set-up only gives a “break” to those who stay put and don’t purchase another house. Even though I have lived in The Villages for 13 years and paid my amenity fees, If I move (new or resale) I will pay more. Go figure. Somehow that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Well, you -could- just pay more now instead. Have everyone pay the same. It'd a be a lot easier, cost-effective, and less expensive to do the accounting for, if every property was assessed the same amenity fee every month. They each have access to the same amenities, so I don't see a problem with that.

[anothersteve]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Well, you -could- just pay more now instead. Have everyone pay the same.

Or not.
Steve

[LuvtheVillages]

Originally Posted by Velvet

The web site mentioned above is blocked out. I’m in district 6, does anyone know how much the fees are going to be?

Your amenity fee was established in the contract you signed when you purchased your house. It increases every year by the Consumer Price Index, on the anniversary of your house purchase.

If you purchased a few years ago, you are probably paying about $150 - 155 per month. Its on your water/garbage bill.

It will continue to go up by the CPI every year. The only thing new is that now, there will not be a ceiling that stops the increases. It will increase every year. The CPI has been in the 1.5 - 2 - 3% range. So the annual increase is about $3 or so each month.

This fee pays for the operation of the recreation facilities, not the general maintenance of the roads, gates, flower beds, etc. That maintenance is paid by you annually with your property tax bill.

[Velvet]

Thank you for explaining how these fees work.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Thank you for explaining how these fees work.

Village Community Development Districts

[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Well, you -could- just pay more now instead. Have everyone pay the same. It'd a be a lot easier, cost-effective, and less expensive to do the accounting for, if every property was assessed the same amenity fee every month. They each have access to the same amenities, so I don't see a problem with that.

Can’t do that. The contract everyone agreed to when you purchased your house spells out exactly how the amenity fee can change. To unilaterally move every home to the same fee violates that agreement. In fact, the capping of the fee is one way to accomplish that without violating the agreement. A secondary effect of the cap is to keep the disparity in fees between homes from widening.

[tophcfa]

Just a quick question, can anyone find a place anywhere on earth were they can get more amenities for about $155 per month? I know I can't. So if my fees go up by the CPI each year I am good with that.

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by Bowtorc

The raising of fees brings to mind a few questions:

There was no mention of such a need two years ago when we purchased. Now they can see 10 years ahead?
What are the monies used for by item?
With a 70 million dollar budget I was expected to have a cost reduction program. What has been done in the villages?
Will we all be paying for new facilities south of 44?
The contract we signed when purchasing was no good? So I can decide also what I want to change, like bond?
The presentation for raising rates stated that failure to raise would result in a loss of 50 million. It could very easily be taken to mean we would be 50 in the hole. This should be a prediction of our current status in 10 years.
I seriously doubt that anyone can predict ten years ahead!
Are we allowed to see a line item of past and future budget and actual?
Are we being asked for such a large raise in anticipation of all settling for something less?
I understand that 40 50 dollars per month would be no problem for some but a significant problem for others A 25 % increase for such a short term seems a little much.
I also understand that some will take issue with my concerns but I think several others would also agree.
Just my opinion.

A

I'll try to answer your questions, I am a CDD-10 Supervisor and a member of the PWAC and have been involved with the budgeting for the last 5 years that I've lived here in The Villages.

There was no mention of such a need two years ago when we purchased. Now they can see 10 years ahead?
The projected shortfalls have been known for at least the last 5 years. A rolling 10 year forecast is a part of every budget cycle for every budget in The Villages. The need to address the Deferral Rate has be discussed at the PWAC budget meetings since the Developer sold the amenities between 466 & 44 to SLCDD over 2 years ago and PWAC accepted an advisory role in the operations of the Amenities.

What are the monies used for by item?
The amenities budget (SLAD fund) has hundreds of line items on it, all the information is public records, most of these are discussed at the budget workshops and CCD/PWAC/AAC meetings. These meetings are happening over the next few months.

With a 70 million dollar budget I was expected to have a cost reduction program. What has been done in the villages?
There are many initiatives going on by the District Staff to reduce cost - consolidation of fleet vehicle leasing with Sumter County, shared fleet vehicle maintenance with Sumter County to utilize there excess capacity and reduce our costs by $500K a year, staff reorganization to eliminate redundancies and increase efficiency, contract consolidations to achieve economies of scale, entering into multi year contracts to lock in lower prices for services. There are a lot more going on in every department, but at midnight writing this additional items are escaping me.
Since Richard Baier has taken over as District Manager, these efforts to achieve cost reductions have increased dramatically.

Will we all be paying for new facilities south of 44?
No, the Developer builds and pays for all the amenities south of SR44. The Recreation and other departments staff, operate, and maintain the new facilities and the Developer is billed for these services, and the SLAD is reimbursed by the Developer. Funds used to pay for the operations of the amenities south of 44 come for the resident amenities fees south of SR44. The Developer owns these amenities contracts and when the monthly bill is paid by the residents it goes to the developer. This was the case also before the amenities (and amenities contracts) were purchased by SLCDD 2 years ago for the residents between 466 and 44, post-sale these fees are now collected by SLCDD and go directly into the SLAD fund. Bottom line is that the Developer builds and owns the new amenities south of 44 and pays the District to operate them.

The contract we signed when purchasing was no good? So I can decide also what I want to change, like bond?
I have no idea where you came up with this one. The contract (your deed restrictions) is valid and enforceable. The amenities and the bond are two completely different items and not related to each other.

The presentation for raising rates stated that failure to raise would result in a loss of 50 million. It could very easily be taken to mean we would be 50 in the hole. This should be a prediction of our current status in 10 years.
The projection is that in 2022-2023 revenues collected from the amenities fees will start to fall short of the cost of running the amenities. At that point we start to utilize capital reserves to cover these revenue/operating cost short falls. Over the 7 years that follow this will result in nearly $50M being depleted from the reserves. We'll be living on our savings account instead of our pay check, not a good plan. These capital reserves have been,and still are being, accumulated to cover long term repair and replacement of the amenities facilities, $300,000 is being spent this year to replace the roofs on 2 of the larger rec centers.

I seriously doubt that anyone can predict ten years ahead!
No, they can't get it down to the exact nickel that everything will costs. The staff has 30+ years of empirical data and trends that allow them to make fairly accurate projections and estimations. The can't predict the unknowns, for these we establish capital reserves to cover the unexpected.

Are we allowed to see a line item of past and future budget and actual?
Absolutely, it is all considered public records and you are entitled to see them. The current budgets and ongoing expenditures are also discussed at every CDD and other board meetings.

Are we being asked for such a large raise in anticipation of all settling for something less?
No increase is being requested beyond what is allowed for in the contract you agreed to when you purchased your home, annual CPI adjustments to the fee. For the last five years the CPI adjustment has been about 1.5%/year. What you won't find in your deed restrictions/contract is any mention of a deferral rate.
Nobody is bargaining for a pay raise or the cost of car and high balling or low balling the numbers to gain a better positions.

I understand that 40 50 dollars per month would be no problem for some but a significant problem for others A 25 % increase for such a short term seems a little much.
A 1.5% CPI adjustment on an amenity fee at the current deferral rate of $155 is a $2.33/month increase or $28/year. Don't know were you came up with $40 or $50 or 25%. It doesn't seem like a lot of money on an individual basis but when taken over the approximate 35,000 homes currently sitting a the deferral rate it equates to nearly a million dollars, this year that can't be collected to operate the amenities. Each year the number gets larger as more homes reach the deferral rate, by 2022 nearly 100% of the homes between 466 and 44 will be at the deferral rate.

You sound very concerned about this issue, you should be, it's important as it will directly affect the quality of life for everyone here in The Villages. Please come to the joint meeting Monday at 9:00 AM at the Laurel Manor Rec Center were this will be addressed. Feel free to express your concerns and ask your questions.

If you have questions and you want them answered directly please call me or send me an email. My contact information is listed on the districtgov.org website.

Don Wiley
CDD-10 Supervisor and PWAC member