Community adopts budget for fiscal year

HERITAGE HARBOUR — Although Heritage Harbour South Community Development District supervisors saw the 2014-15 fiscal year budget as standard with few changes to the previous year’s budget, some Lighthouse Cove residents don’t find the changes minimal to their bottom lines.

Residents there are unhappy with the increased operations and maintenance assessments reflected in the new budget.

Tad Parker, a resident of The Villas community, said increases in his neighborhood are too expensive for retirees.

Lighthouse Cove single-family homes with 40-foot yards are seeing assessments rise from $579.38 to $600.44, an increase of $21.06. Lighthouse Cove condominium owners will see assessments rise from $489.25 to $501.54, an increase of $12.29.

Parker and the other representatives of Lighthouse Cove, who spoke at the CDD’s Aug. 5 meeting, agreed the dollars “added up” and will have an impact on their finances, especially retired individuals who live on a fixed income.

“Lighthouse Cove makes up one of the smallest communities within Heritage Harbour, and it’s charged the most,” Parker said. “It doesn’t make sense. This amount may seem small to you, but it isn’t (a small amount) to the community.”

Residents also said the cost of using the community’s “dirty ponds and few roadways” isn’t worth the increase. In comparison, homeowners in single-family units with 55- and 65-foot yards will pay $5.86 and $2.56 more this year respectively. The only property owners who come within $5 of Lighthouse Cove’s assessments increases are individuals living in Stone Harbour condominiums. Stone Harbour assessments are rising from from $550.01 to $558.90, for an $8.97 increase.

The annual cost changes were presented at the meeting, during which the supervisors adopted a $413,000 overall budget, which reflects the same budget as last year. The methodology used to determine assessments remained the same as last year.

The budget also included a $6.09 reduction for single-family home occupants with 85-foot yard space. Costs were calculated through a methodology that factors in homeowners’ lot sizes.

Other budget highlights include: $55,900 for lake and wetland maintenance; $15,000 for stormwater system maintenance; $10,000 for sidewalk repair and replacement; and $25,000 to capital reserves in the case of a natural disaster.

The budget also appropriates $14,000 for security services and patrols, which may include the hiring of a law enforcement official to monitor speeding throughout Heritage Harbour.

The supervisors agreed more enforcement is likely needed in addition to the two radar signs that district engineer Rick Schappacher moves throughout the community.

To CDD Chairwoman Joyce Sandy, Lighthouse Cove’s increased assessment could help pay for the community’s request of another speed deterrent — 12 speed bumps. The supervisors didn’t specify a line item amount for the speed bumps, but may pull the funding for the bumps from a miscellaneous fund, if the supervisors decide to move forward with the idea.

The CDD will address the issue further once speedbump information is presented at the 6 p.m. Sept. 6 CDD meeting.