Assessment increase fails

When the results of this month’s assessment election were revealed, some members might have felt a sense of déjà vu. Much like the 2016 election, the proposal failed in spite of a slight majority.

A few percentage points decided both assessment elections. Although there were more votes in favor than against, the votes in favor did not reach the 51 percent required by the governing documents. The proposed assessment increase failed.

Sukey Hildebrandt, representing The Inspector of Elections, the company that ran the election, announced the results.

The quorum was met, she explained, with 52.9 percent of the possible votes cast. Each lot in Bella Vista gets one vote, as long as assessment fees are up to date.

Of the 18,521 votes cast, 9,192 or 50.07 percent were in favor, she reported. Some 9,165 or 49.9 percent were opposed. There were also 144 voters who cast a ballot but abstained.

There was one question on the ballot — an increase in the monthly assessment. For improved properties, the proposed increase was $11 a month or $132 more per year. The current assessment is $24 a month. For unimproved properties, the proposal was for a $2 per month increase to the current $16 monthly fee.

A new user fee schedule was to be put into place with the new assessment reducing or eliminating fees at many amenities.

In 2016, 18,832 votes were cast and the quorum requirement was met. That ballot had two questions.

Question 1 — an increase of $9 for improved lots — received 9,615 votes (50.8 percent) in favor and 9,291 votes (49.2 percent) against. Later, it was revealed that there were 147 abstentions.

Question 2 — an increase of $3 for unimproved lots — failed by a slightly larger margin with 74 abstentions. The final numbers were announced as 9,520 votes (50.3 percent) in favor and 9,386 votes (49.7 percent) against.

The last time voters approved

an increase was in 2001 when the two-tier assessment was first put into place. At that time, the POA was providing municipal services, including fire, police and street maintenance. Owners of unimproved lots were mostly nonresidents and didn’t benefit from those services.

“We are extremely disappointed that the 2020 plan was not approved tonight. So we are back to the drawing board tomorrow,” board chairwoman Ruth Hatcher said.

“The outcome does not change the facts. Bella Vista is running an operation with 2019 budget funded by a 2001 assessment plan. We have had no choice (but) to keep increasing individual fees to all our amenities to try to keep up. It no longer works.

“We will be coming back to the property owners with another assessment increase proposal in 2020. We have no choice.”