Tara CDD — Seat 4: Darby Connor

Age: 77

Occupation: Retired

Hometown: Bradenton

About: Darby Connor is a full-time resident of the Preserve since 2004. He served in the U.S. Navy for six years and retired from Southern New England Telephone as Southern Area Operations Manager after 40 years. He is a chairman for Goodwill Fundraising drives.  He served on the Tara CDD from 2006 to 2012 and has served six years on the Manatee County District 5 Advisory Board.

Why are you running for office?

I am running for office because I am concerned the District is slipping some when it comes to maintaining our property values and controlling costs. The most dramatic change is in the landscaping and maintenance of our common grounds over the past four years due to changing landscapers for an inferior one. The replacement company has not kept up the common grounds to the previous high standards we are accustom to. This affects our property values dramatically.

What experiences do you have that make you believe you are the right candidate for the job?

I served on the CDD board previously 2006 to 2012. I volunteered as landscape chairman for six years to raise the standards. I was also chairman of the CDD Board for four years ending in 2012. I worked with the board implementing cost saving measures, drilling two wells for irrigation of common areas reducing water fees by $14,000 annually. The cost for wells was only $19,000. This, with other cost saving measures like solar heating the pool, resulted in a 15% reduction in CDD fees that six-year period.  The current Board just raised the fees by 11%.

What do you see as the biggest challenge the district faces and how do you plans address it?

The cost to maintain common areas and storm systems has increased as the community ages. We must vet vendors that work for us to obtain better pricing with contracts that offer discounts for longevity. We must be more aggressive holding the vendors to a high level of performance.  If vendors fail to maintain standards, they must be dealt with promptly. I would work within our budget providing sensible improvements without overspending. When spending people’s money, we should ensure that the majority of the community benefits. Maintaining the common grounds in a positive manner enhances the value of all homeowners’ property.

Community aesthetics continue to be a concern for residents.  What changes to the district’s policies, if any, do you think should be made to improve community aesthetics?

We must maintain our CDD common areas, including the community center pool, tennis courts, building, etc. within for the pleasure of the residents and solicit more input from residents as to changes and or improvements they may wish.  Also, we should revise our meeting structure to reduce the length of the meetings and encourage residents to attend and participate prior to the business portion of the meeting.

Do you foresee any changes to the amenities offered to Tara Preserve residents via the CDD? If so, what should they be?

Amenities in the community are limited due to the fact our property is landlocked by a privately owned golf course. Residents bought into the Preserve because they did not want the cost of a country club and golf course memberships constantly raising fees. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars to improve what little we have. Our center provides adequate facilities for group activities, meetings and small social gatherings. We may be able to negotiate with the golf course club, which has a much larger unused facility to provide additional space for activities on a fee per-use basis.

What do you believe should be other top priorities and why?

I strongly oppose the Tara Bridge and widening of Tara Boulevard.  I spoke at a town meeting asking Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh request the county remove this from the long range planning as it is not a viable option. The county has six major highways to University Parkway.  How would an 18 wheeler negotiate Tara Boulevard safely to University? Where does it go when it gets there? I will continue to guard against widening in the Preserve as it will impact our wetlands and storm water control system risking putting us in a flood zone which we are engineered not to be.