As residents will notice when they review the budget sent out with the assessment mailing, there is no "wiggle room" in the budget for funding the improvements to our entrances. Whereas other villages like Fosters Mill built reserves from which to draw for anticipated repairs, we did not. Our board has done a good job of stewarding a tight budget, which was sufficient to keep things running when our neighborhood was "new," but did not build for future repair or replacement of aging infrastructure.
The discussion about increasing the assessment has waged for several months in board meetings. Individual residents and the Revitalization Committee voiced their support in these meetings for an increase. The Committee solicited input from residents through personal contact, the WoodNote, email and this blog...and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Just before the November 5 board meeting, the Revitalization Committee was gratefully appreciative of the emails we received from residents indicating their support for increasing the assessment, which we shared with the board. As a result, the board did pass the increase. We'll share a sampling of resident comments:
"We have no objection to a small increase in money for updating, etc. Our neighborhood is worth it." -- T.C.
"I do not mind paying an additional assessment IF it is used for revitalization." -- P.B.
"[We] support. . .an increase of $100 per year..." -- D.L.
"We are in favor of either a one-time assessment or an increase in the annual assessment as long as we can see some tangible results in the near future." -- D.M.
Underscoring the residents' comments is a requirement that the board be accountable for disbursing these moneys for targeted purposes: residents want to see the assessment increase go toward improving the neighborhood and revitalization efforts, not helping to maintain the status quo.
