BELLA VISTA -- The Property Owners Association has a balanced budget for 2015, along with several increased fees, after a board meeting Thursday night.
Members turned down an assessment increase in two elections this year, so use fees were raised on most of amenities in November. The board discussed the budget and the fee schedule at several meetings in recent weeks.
The budget reflects slightly more income than 2014. The 2014 budget called for $15,703,527 in income, while 2015 calls for 16,064,251.
Wages and salaries are the largest expense, reaching $6,723,987 in 2015. Director of Finance Dwain Mitchell reminded the board four full-time positions will be eliminated in 2015, including two people in membership services who will no longer be needed because of a new software system.
Two full-time positions were added. A manager will be needed when tennis operations are brought back into the association. Tennis professional Paul Pautsch now runs the program as a private contractor. In the past, the board discussed bringing the program back when Pautsch retires. Also, a position in the legal department eliminated last year will be restored. That position will help pay for itself by collecting from members who are overdue in assessment payments.
When the budget is broken into divisions, the Golf Division has $6,556,551 budgeted. The Recreation Division has $1,799,733 and Lakes and Parks Division has $773,032. Those expenses include salaries.
Some capitol projects were included in the budget. Those projects include replacing aging equipment, a new archery range and a boat that will be used for herbicide applications.
In November, the board approved increases in fees, including several for golfers. In the past, the association absorbed the sales tax costs, but next year sales tax will be added to the fees. Annual greens fee will go up to $1,600, but with tax added a golfer will pay $1,736. An annual seat lease for a golf cart will go up to $600 with $51 tax added and the private cart fee will increase to $500 with an additional $42.50 for sales tax.
At Thursday's meeting, Chairman Charlie Teal pointed out, unlike other annual fees, golf fees don't usually follow the calendar year. He proposed prorating the golf fees for 2015 and setting the renewal date for Jan. 1, 2016. So for 2015 the annual fees will be slightly lower.
The new fee schedule is published on the association website -- bellavistapoa.com.
NW News on 12/13/2014