What Do the 2026 Board Initiatives Really Mean to You?

The Board this year has spent countless hours and more of our money paying their Attorney to write 21 Initiatives altering our founding Governing Documents (Master Declaration and Bylaws.) The bulk of these proposed changes are excessive and unnecessary. Other HOA's do not amend their governing documents as frequently as we do, and hardly on a year to year basis.

More than a handful of this year's revisions actually infringe on your rights as homeowners and impede Del Webb's original vision for our community's design standards. The rest are meaningless "scrivener" error changes, that only help the Attorney put money in his pocket. We advise to simply Oppose them all, with the exception of # 22, a Resident Sponsored Initiative that helps, not hinders homeowners.

What is Initiative # 22?

Initiative # 22 evolved from a resident petition containing over 10% of the community's signatures. As a Resident Sponsored Ballot Initiative, it is one that will help all homeowners. Initiative # 22 amends SCOV's Bylaw 6.2: "The Duties of the Board" by adding a new section 6.2 (g). This amendment prioritizes and requires any Board spending of our 'Capital Fund' for amenity improvements to be based only on current resident preferences and usage needs, expressed in community surveys, performed up to every 5 years.

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How Does Initiative # 22 Help Homeowners and the Community?

Initiative # 22 could help to assure that extravagant overspending of our community's financial resources is restrained and kept at realistic levels. It could help to guarantee that proper budgets are established with practical results for the projects most requested and needed, determined by real time data driven residency space utilization (not board beliefs or desires).

The surveys would be handled professionally, written with specific questions in regard to current and future condition needs and appropriate financial feasibility and sustainability. None would ask residents for "pie in the sky" WANTS vs. basic NEEDS. They could be strongly recommended and highly advertised (and could potentially be sent to each address with a return envelope to promise completed responses by 90% of the homeowners).

Often the groups assigned by the board, who get involved in our upgrading projects tend to look at them as having limitless funds, where money is no object, where the sky is the limit. This could curb that sort of spending at more operable levels.

Why is this a good thing? Because the more our monies are spent down, the higher our HOA's dues could be, and the more likely future assessments would incur. This as a result, according to basic real estate, lowers the values of our properties. When HOA dues are set at higher rates, the houses sell at lower rates.

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What does Initiative #22 Guide the Board to do?

• It ensures that the board listens and carefully considers the wishes of all residents, not just some.

• It will place the first two most desired amenity improvements from the 2023 survey, (a new pool upgrade and designated walking paths) for top consideration, not the last desired amenity (additional art studio space).

• It will take into consideration that the $1000 assessment to help pay for the Copper Center project renovations was rejected by a Member vote. It will redirect current funding to the Capital Fund on the more affordable most desired amenities.

• The 5 yr. plan for the Capital Fund is designated solely to the overpriced Copper Center plan and nothing else. It could slow down the overspending on this one and only plan concept and force the Board to explore other alternatives to meet the demands of additional artist studio space, with more cost-effective solutions.

• It will reserve any additional savings to the Capital Fund to other improvements, not just to the Copper Center.

• It will help to open the lines of communication between the Board and residents, and resident to resident.

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What Happens When AZ HOA Laws Change or are Revised?

Note that 'significant' revisions to HOA laws in Arizona generally require a Member vote to be incorporated into the governing documents, while minor amendments may sometimes be made without a Member vote, provided proper procedures are followed and the Board notifies the Members. There have been no 'significant' changes to AZ state laws this past year in need of a Member vote. For "2025 Changes in the Law Affecting AZ HOA's"  click here.

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Why All The Changes This Year?

We are celebrating our 40th Anniversary this year. Why are rules that were good 40, 30 and 20 years ago, as well as even last year, not good enough anymore? What is the reason behind so many revisions, if not 'significant' changes in AZ state law? Are our Governing Documents so outdated, they really ought to be completely rewritten? Could this be just busy nonsense work for the Attorney, since he prefers to be paid on a recurring basis? Could it be that our Board is trying to mix in some bad Initiatives that will rob us of our rights? Do they hope that in this process enough residents will blindly trust them and vote FOR them all? They seem to be profoundly overreaching. These maneuvers are a distraction to the real problems we have and cause stress and divisiveness amongst Members.

Why Did the Board Feel the Need to Rewrite our Documents?

Current Board members pledge loyalty to our Community as a "Corporation", not to you, the Homeowner. They allow themselves to be directed by a certain HOA trade organized law firm who'll use corporate law to rule our community (which does not always apply to AZ HOA law). These lawyers make their money from our dues. This is mere busy work for them, to keep their pockets lined. They have taken us to court 3 times and brought us into an investigation by the Dept. of Justice, all to assure they'll continue to be paid. Their work is not needed as they spend down our reserves, but the Board allows them to mislead our Community, while refusing to terminate their services. Is this beneficial to you? This is why we recommend saying no to all Initiatives except #22. It relays a message to the Board we will not put up with this practice.

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Why Oppose?

All Initiatives this year either take away your rights as homeowners (except # 22), infringe on Del Webb's vision or don't matter. Therefore, we advise to simply Oppose all of them, except # 22. By voting no, you send the Board a message:

"Please stop the frivolous lawyer paid busy work and start fulfilling your duty of care

to properly maintain our HOA's properties and monies."

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Please Oppose All Board Initiatives  Except # 22

Refer to blog post "2026 BALLOT: Understanding What the Board's Initiatives Really Mean"

for more information & explanations on the Initiatives.
Click Here