CDD readies budget

As Heritage Harbour South Community Development District moves toward assuming operations of assets, residents still are grappling with concerns about how changes will affect their assessments.

The Fiscal Year 2011/2012 budget shows total assessments for a single-family 55-foot lot will be about $680, compared to this year’s $340. Supervisors are adding maintenance items, such as street sweeping and pressure washing, and also have put $100,000 toward reserves. The budget also establishes a one-time expense of $90,100 to fund the operations from October through December, when the district has not yet received assessments.

“We’re doing work that simply wasn’t done before,” CDD Chairman Lee Bettes said.

However, residents say expenses moved from the homeowners association to the CDD will not be a dollar-for-dollar exchange. The Heritage Harbour Master Association, which is developer controlled, has maintained the district’s stormwater management, among other assets, since the community’s inception. And although residents acknowledge many of those assets have not been maintained properly, they still are troubled by rising costs.

“We’re seeing a significant increase in management costs for every item we transfer to the CDD,” resident Tom Tullio said.

The next meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m., July 7, at the River Strand clubhouse, 7155 Grand Estuary Trail.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].