[1]Lakewood Ranch Incorporation Study Group Newsletter #7.
Local Control.
Prepared by the Lakewood Ranch Incorporation Study Group
One of the major advantages of incorporation is our ability to have far more (local) control over decisions that have significant impact on the present and future of Lakewood Ranch. Now, some residents wonder how this could be and some even argue that we already have adequate local control. This newsletter will hopefully answer these questions and clear up some misinformation. The primary points are: 1) The current governance structure is not well suited to manage a rapidly growing area like LWR going forward, and 2) Control of the most important decisions affecting residents of LWR currently resides with the county commissioners, none of whom live in LWR.
• Currently we, as citizens of Lakewood Ranch, have very limited voice in the management, growth and direction of our community. “Local control” today consists of the authority held by our existing CDDs and HOAs. CDD authority is essentially limited to common area maintenance, operation and maintenance of the irrigation system, maintenance of private roads, Town Hall administration, the ability to issue bonds, and oversight of safety and security – specifically including roving patrols and maintenance and staffing of gates. However, and most importantly, currently we do not have true decision making authority over operation of gates. Today this authority rests with the county. Our HOAs manage common area maintenance in some neighborhoods, deal with modifications, and establish and enforce covenants. It is important to note that incorporation will have no impact on either the role or the functioning of the HOAs. Our HOAs would still ensure that the standards and desires of each neighborhood are being met.
• Today, there are 5 CDDs established within LWR. Each CDD has 5 elected supervisors (25 supervisors in total) whose responsibility and primary focus is on their own jurisdiction, not on the overall “look and feel” or direction of LWR as a whole. As LWR continues to grow, the number of distinct communities also will grow. This governance structure will become increasingly more cumbersome, and any possibility of getting a “city-wide view” on important issues will be increasingly more difficult over time. In effect, we now have 25 supervisors making decisions about our community, often from a very narrow, parochial perspective. As we continue to grow – and if we maintain this system – imagine in the future a structure with 50 or more representatives trying to make important decisions and maintain consistency throughout Lakewood Ranch.
• If we become a city, a five member city council would be elected. The existing CDD governance structure would be eliminated, and the city council would assume responsibility for all matters pertaining to the 5 existing CDDs. A CDD Advisory Committee selected from future HOA board members would be formed specifically for the purpose of maintaining close contact with the CDD communities and providing recommendations to the city council regarding CDD matters.
• Today, the most important decisions which shape the future of LWR are being made at the county level through the County Commissioners. NO commissioner lives east of I-75, and revenues that come to the county (and that would come to us as a city) are being used outside of LWR.
• As a city, we would control issues like zoning and architectural standards, as well as city-wide landscaping maintenance, to ensure that the “look and feel” of Lakewood Ranch is restored and maintained consistently to our expectations. We will be able to determine what kinds of businesses we want-or don’t want-in our community, and ensure that whatever gets built enhances the beauty that attracted us in the first place.
• We would be able to assess and use impact fees to our benefit. Historically, impact fees paid by developers for improvements like roads and parks have been collected by the county and used for the benefit of other areas – not in LWR.
• We would be able to maintain the non-county public roads to our standards, when we want to improve or repair them, rather than waiting for the county to get to them at its discretion. We also would have decision making authority over continued operation of our gates.
• We would have a “seat at the table” in economic development and disaster relief. We would be able to create incentives to create more jobs here, and be eligible for grants and funds that otherwise might not be available to us.
• We could establish local laws and ordinances, like speed limits, noise control, and others.
• Most significantly, we would have the money to do this through those tax revenues that would flow to us as a city (see previous Newsletters for details on these funds).
• And one last thing, perhaps of greatest importance: we would have a city council whose vision and commitment would be to do what’s best for all of Lakewood Ranch. We are a growing community and need to have a unified vision for our future. A coherent, duly elected city council is the best way to maintain real local control over our destiny.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET INVOLVED
Forward this email to your friends and neighbors within LWR to ensure they are informed.
If your neighborhood or group has not yet attended a charter draft presentation meeting, please contact us via email at IncorpStudy@lwrdv.com. We will be happy to arrange a presentation.
If you are interested in joining the Lakewood Ranch Incorporation Study Group, please contact us via email at IncorpStudy@lwrdv.com
If you want more detailed information on the pros and cons of incorporation, the incorporation process, FAQs, the charter, etc. visit our website at www.lwrdv.com/incorp.
Posted as a public service announcement by REAL Magazine. REAL Magazine takes no position on the incorporation of Lakewood Ranch.
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