BELLA VISTA -- In March, the Bella Vista Property Owners Association's Board of Directors scheduled an election to raise the assessment fee.
The election starts next week with ballots being sent out Wednesday, and the proposal is for a $3 increase in the monthly fee for owners of improved lots. Unimproved lot owners would continue to pay the same fee they have been paying, which is $16 a month.
The most recent assessment increase was three years ago, and the governing documents prohibit increases more often than every three years. That increase was the first increase in 19 years. If the new plan is passed, the proposed $3 increase would go into effect on March 1, 2023, exactly three years after the previous increase.
At the March meeting, board member Sandy Fosdick was the only board member to vote against the plan. She said it's not fair to ask improved lot owners to increase their assessment while allowing owners of unimproved lots to continue to pay $16 a month.
Association Chief Operating Officer Tom Judson explained that he doesn't believe owners of unimproved lots would agree to any kind of increase. There are more unimproved lots than improved lots, he said, so they can stop an increase they don't like. With the numbers of new homes going in, that may change in the future, he said.
Also, while there are some owners of unimproved lots who live in the region and use Bella Vista amenities, it's a small percentage, Judson said. Most unimproved lots are owned by corporations that don't see the value in amenities and will automatically vote against any increase.
Recently, Steve McKee, a former board member who doesn't always agree with the board's direction, explained why he won't support the plan.
"It appears that the unimproved have the control," he said. "So from a reasonable point of view, is it reasonable for one member to pay $192 while others pay $480 for the same amenities?"
He also doesn't agree that the numbers of unimproved lot owners using amenities is that small. He said in 2019, the last year the numbers were published, about 25% of photo ID cards were sold to owners of unimproved lots. Since 2020, photo ID cards have been renamed Activity Cards and give members who purchase one the chance to use many amenities for free or at a reduced rate.
Some members believe, McKee said, that the Property Owners Association will be pushing for an increase every three years from now on -- even if it's not necessary.
The increase is needed, Judson said, in order to keep the amenities free or at a low cost for members, Without the increase, the annual golf membership would have to go up $100 a year, he said. Other fees would increase as well.
He acknowledged that there hasn't been a lot of discussion in the community about the proposal, but he thinks people understand that small, frequent increases will prevent a much larger, more difficult increase in the future.
"The board spoke at length in a public meeting. We weren't hiding," he said.
With ballots going out on Wednesday, the association administration is gearing up to get the word out.
Signage, including placards in golf carts, has been going out along with brochures that list the facts, said Ashley Wood, the association's new marketing and communications director.
But the best marketing happens when people ask questions, she said. Once members hear about the plan they tend to support it, she said.
"We want to do what's best and right for the community," she said.
Judson said there will probably be volunteers calling members to talk about the election.
The election begins when members receive their ballot and ends Oct. 4, with the results announced at Lakepoint at 6 p.m. that day. One ballot is distributed to the owners of each lot, and members can choose to vote by mail or electronically. According to the governing documents, at least 50% of property owners in good standing must participate in the vote to reach a quorum. Once quorum is met, at least 51% of the votes must be in favor of an assessment increase for it to pass.