Don't be fooled by all the "Vote Yes" signs you see posted throughout Bella Vista. Those signs are being put up by the Bella Vista Property Owners Association Board -- the Corporation -- not by the rank-and-file residents of Bella Vista, who are largely opposed to an assessment increase. And whatever is good for the Board/Corporation is generally not good for the people. And how do you feel about the POA spending your money on those signs and on those mailers/postcards you're finding in your mailbox?
For every argument put forth by the corporation as a reason to vote "Yes," there is a counter-argument to vote No."
They say, "Our amenities are becoming worn down and outdated. The increase will allow the POA to rejuvenate them for everyone's benefit." Not for everyone's benefit; this will only benefit the people who actually use them -- most people who live in Bella Vista don't even use the amenities.
They say, "Home buyers are choosing areas with more current amenities. The rejuvenation will help raise property values." This is hogwash -- home buyers choose a home because they like the home, the neighborhood, the school. Higher POA assessments will only make it harder for all of us to sell our homes.
They say, "Bella Vista is a big community..." They are right about that. Bella Vista is way too large of a community to have a POA at all. The Corporation is actually making the best argument to dismantle themselves -- the POA is too large. It is time to turn the POA into a Parks and Recreation Department of the city of Bella Vista government and let them run the golf courses, pools, etc., which is what they do anyway. We do not need two governing bodies in this town.
The POA Corporation is essentially asking all the citizens of Bella Vista to subsidize and pay for improving amenities they don't even use for the benefit of the minority of the people who use them. If the Corporation needs to make money for improvements, let the people who use them pay more in user fess. That's the only fair way -- "pay to play."
Kimberly Davis
Bella Vista
Editorial on 09/21/2016