LAKEWOOD RANCH — Residents of Lakewood Ranch’s first phase will see minimal impacts to their annual community development assessments, despite budget increases for districts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.
Budgets for all five districts are set to increase between 8.6% and 17.9%, but only residents in CDD 6 will see average assessment increases of more than $68.
Supervisors from all five boards plan to use surpluses from this fiscal year budget to minimize impacts.
Districts are jointly contributing toward increases passed by the Inter-District Authority Board, the agency that handles communitywide issues for its member districts. Such expenses include costs associated with the addition of two positions (purchasing manager and utilities technician), computer systems/technology improvements, security and expenses related to Town Hall, administration and operation.
Notices will be sent to homeowners whose assessments will increase. The boards will adopt their 2016 fiscal year budgets Aug. 20.
The East County Observer breaks down each CDD’s budget.
CDD 1
- Budget amount: $1,998,800
- Proposed budget increase: 10.4%
- Assessment decrease: 0.4%
- Which translates to ... a $3 average decrease per household
- To mitigate increases, upervisors plan to use: $279,770 of infrastructure reserves and $8,000 in carry-forward surplus (funds from the current year)
“District 1 is unique; it paid off its bonds May 1, 2014,” Town Hall Financial Director Steve Zielinski said. “It has big balances in its reserve account. You won’t see that again.”
- Budget increases: 1.1% for continued landscaping improvements; 1.4% for reserves; and 6.6% for an LED street lighting project
- Budget decreases: 2.9% or security patrols (see sidebar)
A budget adoption hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 20, at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
CDD 2
- Budget amount: $3,190,910
- Proposed budget increase: 7.3%
- Assessment increase: 4.7%
- Which translates to ... a $68 average increase per household
- To mitigate assessment increases, supervisors plan to use: $39,670 in carry-forward surplus and $186,000 in road reserve usage
- Budget increases: 1.1% for operations and maintenance; 5.7% in road repaving/resurfacing initiatives; and .9% for a LED street light retrofit project on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard
- Budget decreases: 1.3% for irrigation water; .4% for reduced conservation/wetland maintenance due to ongoing initiatives; and 1.3% for landscape improvements
A budget adoption hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 20, at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
CDD 4
- Budget amount:$2,003,640
- Proposed budget increase: 8.6%
- Assessment increase: 4.5%
- Which translates to ... a $60 average increase per household
- To mitigate assessment increases and offset the costs of a LED street light retrofit project, supervisors will use: $73,240 in carry-forward balance
- Budget increases: 1.7% for landscape and environmental for environmental/conservation-related expenses; 2.3% for operations and maintenance expenses; and 3.2% for the LED street light retrofit project
- Budget decreases: Maintenance facility debt service requirements and irrigation usage, a total of 1.6%.
A budget adoption hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 20, at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
CDD 5
- Budget amount: $2,792,650
- Proposed budget increase: 17.9%
- Assessment decrease: 1.6%
- Which translates to ... a $37 average decrease per household
- To eliminate any assessment increases, supervisors plan to use: $232,00 for storm drain inlet repairs and $228,000 for road repaving/resurfacing projects
- Budget increases: 10.1% for operations and maintenance for ongoing storm drain/inlet and road repairs; and landscape and 2.4% for environmental/conservation-related expenses
- Budget decreases: 1% for irrigation water usage
A budget adoption hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 20, at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
CDD 6
- Budget amount: $933,540
- Proposed budget increase: 16.6%
- Assessment increase: 13.4%
- Which translates to ... a $253 average increase for households
- To offset certain expenses, supervisors plan to use: $17,000 of carry-forward surplus and $8,000 in road reserves
- Budget increases: 1.6% for utilities; 2.2% for minor road repairs and other operations and maintenance expenses; and 17.5% for future road improvements, as specified in a pavement management study. Town Hall Financial Director Steve Zielinski said CDD 6 needs to budget about $170,000 annual for road upkeep based on a pavement management study it completed. This year’s increase will bring road reserves to a budget allotment of $150,000 annually, so increases for those reserves will be less drastic in future years.
- Budget decreases: 5.8% in landscape and environmental conservation because of less need for plant replacement; and 2.5% in project requests.
A budget adoption hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 20, at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
Advance budget
The Inter-District Authority Board approved its preliminary budget at its May 21 meeting, because it’s budget impacts budget items in Lakewood Ranch’s other CDDs. As proposed, the IDA’s budget includes a 9.7% overall increase, including:
4.8%: the addition of two employees and salary and wage adjustments
1.1%: community-wide administration and operations
4.2%: gatehouse cost-sharing inter-local agreement for districts 2, 5 and 6
.8%: reduction in Town Hall operations
The IDA is slated to adopt its FY2016 budget at 10 a.m. July 16, at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
