Update: Board Clarification on 2026 Budget Comparisons
After this post was published, a board member clarified how the 2026 expense increase should be compared.
Specifically:
-
2026 budgeted expenses are approximately 5% higher than the 2025 budget (about $32,000), and
-
approximately 2.5% higher than projected 2025 actuals.
This distinction matters, and I appreciate the clarification.
However, even using the budget-to-budget comparison, the core issue remains:
-
Homeowner dues increased approximately 7.3%, generating $43,000–$48,000 in additional annual revenue, while
-
budgeted expenses increased by approximately $32,000.
That still leaves $11,000–$16,000 per year not clearly identified in the published budget or resident-facing explanation.
The board has noted that this difference is due in part to lower projected interest income and various smaller line items. While that may be accurate, residents have not been shown a clear, dollar-by-dollar reconciliation explaining how those factors account for the remaining increase.
The concern raised in this post is not whether the increase is defensible, but whether it was explained clearly, reviewed by the board, and communicated to residents before enforcement tightened.
That clarity still has not been provided.
I want to respond directly to Dan’s comment, because residents deserve a plain-English explanation of what’s happening – not just reassurances that things are “under control.”
This isn’t about personalities.
It’s about whether the board is actively looking out for homeowners – or simply approving what management puts in front of them.
After reviewing the budgets and Dan’s explanation, the numbers tell a story that residents need to see clearly.
The 2.5% 5% vs 7.3% Problem (This Is the Heart of It)
Dan stated that the 2026 budget increased by approximately 2.5% over 2025.
Let’s accept that as true.
Now look at what residents are actually paying.
What Residents Are Paying
-
Monthly dues increased by $9 per home
-
That is a ~7.3% increase year over year
What Expenses Increased By
-
Total budgeted expenses increased by ~2.5%
Those two numbers are not close.
Put Simply: Where Is the Extra Money Going?
Let’s translate this into dollars.
-
New money collected from residents:
~$43,000–$48,000 per year -
Increase in expenses (2.5%):
~$16,000–$18,000 per year
That leaves:
~$25,000–$32,000 per year that is not clearly explained in the budget
This is not speculation.
It’s basic arithmetic.
And the published budget does not clearly show:
-
a reserve contribution increase of that size,
-
a cash-flow stabilization line item,
-
or an explanation that this increase corrects past under-budgeting.
Any of those might be reasonable – but none are stated plainly.
Residents are paying almost three times the rate of expense growth, without being told clearly why.
Why Pointing at Trash and “Behavior” Misses the Mark
Residents were told that things like bulk trash and community behavior played a role in the increase.
But the numbers show:
-
bulk trash costs are only a few thousand dollars per year
-
landscaping and utilities increased years ago and were already built into the 2025 budget
-
there is no major new cost in 2026 that explains a $43k–$48k jump in what residents pay
That’s why people are frustrated.
The explanation residents received does not match the math.
The Bigger Issue: Who Is Actually Running the Show?
Dan also acknowledged something important:
The board reviewed the budget numbers, but did not review the explanation that was sent to residents.
That should concern everyone.
It means:
-
the management company sent out messaging that justified higher dues and stricter enforcement,
-
that messaging shaped how residents were treated,
-
and the board did not review or approve it.
That’s not how a board is supposed to operate.
The management company works for the board.
If communications go out without board review, then management is effectively driving policy – not the elected board.
That is a failure of oversight.
Enforcement Tightened – Before Residents Got Answers
There’s also the timing issue that hasn’t been addressed.
-
Costs rose in 2023–2024
-
Enforcement escalated in 2025 (especially towing)
-
Dues increased in 2026
-
Explanations came after enforcement, not before
Residents were penalized before they were clearly told what was changing or why.
Good boards give prospective notice:
-
clear warning,
-
clear standards,
-
reasonable time to comply,
-
enforcement applied going forward – not retroactively.
That didn’t happen here.
Why This Matters to Every Homeowner
This is not about refusing to follow rules.
It’s not about denying that costs rise.
It is about:
-
paying 7.3% more while being told costs only rose 2.5%
-
being enforced against without clear advance notice
-
a board that admits it didn’t review the messaging sent in its name
-
a management company that appears to be steering the narrative and enforcement
That is not resident-first governance.
The Question the Board Still Needs to Answer
Here is the simple question that still hasn’t been answered:
Can the board explain, in plain dollars, how the additional $43,000-$48,000 collected from residents is being used – beyond the roughly $16,000–$18,000 increase in expenses?
Until that answer is given clearly, frustration and distrust will continue – and rightly so.
Why I’m Speaking Up
I’m not doing this to attack anyone.
I’m doing it because someone has to stand up for residents and ask the questions that should have been answered before dues were raised and enforcement tightened.
A board exists to:
-
oversee management,
-
protect homeowners,
-
and communicate clearly.
Right now, that isn’t happening.
And until it does, residents deserve to know the truth – in plain language, with real numbers.