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Post by HOA on Jun 28, 2016 21:16:18 GMT -5
Its good that they invented this forum so residents can have a place to speak their mind. Ive enjoyed reading the postings from the smallest things such as furninishings in our clubhouse to larger ones like elections.
Since this is as close to a town hall setting as we can get, and many of our residents are seniors on a fixed income I would like to propose that HOA fees be linked to inflation, specifically core inflation which excludes food and energy which can be volatile. The core inflation rate is listed at 2.2 percent. I was disappointed that the most recent HOA increase went from $287 to $301 a rise of roughly 5 percent, more than double the inflation rate. Now I do undeestand some of our contracted services such as snow removal etc. may have raised their prices beyond inflation but a 5 percent increase seems slightly high. I propse a modest 3 percent increse going forward, adjusted higher only if inflation increases beyond 3 percent. Many of us are struggling on Long Island and we need to remember senior citizens are receiving on fixed incomes want to remain here at a reasonable fair price.
Thank you so much my fellow neighbors and citizens. God bless our beautiful community.
-Ed
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Post by silverpondshoa on Jun 30, 2016 21:34:14 GMT -5
Hi Ed, First, thanks for bringing your concerns to our attention. In response to your comment regarding "this is as close to a town hall setting as we can get", I want you to know the board has started a "Meet the Board" night for this very reason. The first one is scheduled for July 6th. It's an avenue to express your concerns and get a live answer one on one, ask any questions you may have, or even just come say hi, or meet us! This isn't a "rant" session, or general meeting; It's meant as a one-on-one forum, in real time, for anyone in our community with concerns! As for the budget, the board works very hard to set a budget for the upcoming year, keeping in mind the many unknown costs and variables. There is no "5% every year" as suggested, but rather, projecting the costs 12 months in advance for the year, in additional to contract costs, inclusive of the necessary costs to upkeep and maintain this beautiful community that both you and I live in. Keep in mind, board members pay the same fees you do, so we're very empathetic. This year in particular we've been faced with many unexpected costs that were absolutely necessary to keep this community safe and beautiful. Just to point out, in case you haven't noticed, many of your board members in addition to volunteers that are your neighbors have been dedicating their own time, hard work, and money to save our community costs. The budget and any unfortunate increase in costs is for the benefit of the community, and while we keep in mind the many financial issues that every household here faces, in the end, the budget reflects necessary costs to keep you wanting to continue living here. Please feel free to come down July 6th and meet us if you haven't already!
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