An email with a pledge by Recreation Centers of Sun City West Governing Board candidates Burks, Hanzel, Mancuso and Schalk has been circulated recently.
Their first point is a pledge to “Strive to eliminate increases in dues and asset preservation fees.” Not minimize, eliminate.
Last year, these same people unsuccessfully attempted to recall three RCSCW directors to gain power to terminate our general manager. They used Sun City as an example of financial excellence, making multiple references to Sun City’s fiscal responsibility compared to SCW.
Sun City rec centers board did not increase dues from 2017 to 2021. Last year, they acknowledged extreme financial deficiencies. Tens of millions of dollars are needed for rec center replacement, golf course repairs and other deferred maintenance projects.
Attempting to catch up, they increased their annual assessment by 10% last year and by 13% this year. Who knows high how it will go next year? Hardly a model of success.
I have never heard of anyone not buying a house here because of the APF fee. When fully explained, all new buyers understand the purpose, necessity and obligation of contributing to the continued facility excellence we enjoy. We are preserving our assets!
The vast majority of capital projects and significant maintenance projects are funded by APF. If we don’t maintain appropriate levels of contribution, erosion and disrepair are a certainty.
We normally sell between 1,100 to 1,600 homes a year here. Between 6% and 9% of our total inventory turns over every year. We ensure that we remain competitive with our APF rate compared to our immediate competitors Sun City, The Grand and Corte Bella. Who would deny we are the preferred community in the West Valley and all of Arizona? One of the many reasons why is because of our facilities.
This pledge is a last-ditch effort to win an election. Nothing more. It is disingenuous and irresponsible to even suggest such a thing. They know it, I know it and you should certainly know the outcome should they get the chance to do this.
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