Community Development District 7 supervisors are girding for battle over money for the Project Wide Advisory Committee.
The CDD 7 Board of Supervisors in June approved a $2.6 million budget for 2020-21 despite ongoing friction over its share of funding for PWAC.
CDD 7 supervisors will meet in a special session at 8 a.m. Thursday, July 30 at Savannah Center.
They are concerned that nearly half of their budget is devoted to PWAC, which shares infrastructure costs among CDDs south of County Road 466. PWAC responsibilities are now beginning to stretch south of State Road 44.
CDD 7’s share of the PWAC budget for 2020-21 is $1.292 million.
The PWAC average cost per rooftop for the 4,765 homes in CDD 7 is $271.22. CDD 7 actually has the lowest cost-per-rooftop for PWAC. CDD 12 down in the Village of Fenney has the highest PWAC cost-per-rooftop at $679.95.
CDD 7 supervisors are worried that the growth of The Villages will put more pressure on PWAC – and the CDDs who pay the freight. Last year, CDD 7 signed on to a 20-year agreement under which PWAC will be expanded. Though there were reservations at the time, the CDD 7 supervisors now say they were bullied into signing onto the agreement.
Fueled by that buyer’s remorse, CDD 7 supervisors have threatened to withhold funding from PWAC. But with a budget deadline looming, CDD 7 supervisors were forced last month to approve the budget or make good on that threat. The budget received unanimous approval, with the caveat that CDD 7 could still refuse to pay its share for PWAC when the bill comes due in October.
Other CDDs in PWAC are keeping a close eye on CDD 7’s actions. They could potentially be called upon to make up the difference if CDD 7 opts not to fund PWAC.
CDD 7 is also facing mounting legal bills over the potential PWAC standoff.
In May and June, CDD 7 racked up legal bills in excess of $10,000 with District counsel Brionez & Brionez. The firm charges $200 per hour and had been called upon to perform research and provide a legal opinion in the PWAC battle. Attorney Mark Brionez in a July 21 memo indicated he will need to recuse himself from representing CDD 7 at Thursday’s special meeting because he represents the other CDDs who make up PWAC.
“I feel that it is best for me to not attend the special meeting as I will not be able to discuss the dispute with the Board due to my conflict and do not want to have the Board expend money for my attendance,” Brionez said in an email.
The board will also be interviewing supervisor candidates to replace Mark Gallo, who recently resigned. The applicants are John George, Steve Lapp and Gilbert Windsor Jr.