On May 9, I resigned from my CDD1 Board Supervisor position, which I had held since December 2024. This came as a shock to many and seemed to be a blessing to some—my antagonists and critics. All great stories feature a strong protagonist and an ever-challenging antagonist. And I love a great story!
I’ve never tried to please people; rather, I focus on doing the right thing …RIGHT! This approach isn’t universally embraced, and I’m okay with that.
I found the CDD Board Supervisor role overly limiting the various areas I wish to promote. The restrictive Florida Sunshine Law barred me from engaging with my fellow CDD1 Board Supervisors outside formal meetings. I believe my greatest contribution to residents lies in my podium advocacy, such as urging the Amenity Authority Committee Board of Directors to recognize and meet their responsibilities.
I will ENERGETICALLY pursue my resident advocacy by reenergizing my V2PW (Villagers Promise Preservation Watch) group. My focus is:
1. Educate residents on The Villages governance: The Rest of the Story.
The Villages’ internal governmental process is unique and often confusing for those who have recently moved here and may not understand how the system operates, its impact on their property investment, and their lifestyle. I provide presentations to ensure that all residents are informed and can participate in our governing system.
2. Train residents how to challenge a Board (CDD, AAC) for change.
Once residents understand how The Villages’ governmental system works, they can choose to participate by attending Board meetings or contacting their elected Board members. I provide training to residents on techniques that increase the likelihood of their input being heard, considered, and acted upon.
3. Create a recruitment pool for the Boards (CDD, AAC) that includes the focus on 1. and 2.
The process doesn’t recognize that there are skill sets and core competencies that help Board members be better prepared to provide value on their Boards. I want to ensure that we create a pool of highly skilled, educated, and trained candidates for the various Board positions, both elected and appointed, when vacancies arise.
4. Educate residents on the AAC election process, which differs from the regular election process at voting locations. Residents must go to a different location to vote for their District AAC representative. The voter qualifications and requirements, as well as the voter count, differ, with one vote allowed per household for the AAC Board Director in your District, as this is a landowner election.
5. Create a resource/research pool focused on cross-pollination of common issues across districts. In the current government model, the common denominator is the District Management staff. Especially when many CDDs and Committees experience the same issues, there is a lack of cross-pollination of information among the residents’ Boards. This needs to change.
6. Establish a historical record of the lifestyle evolution north of 466 that captures the positive and negative of purchases, trades, and lifestyle losses between Boards and the developer. Without a record of what happened each arriving resident wave may lose more as they are not aware of what transpired historically.
7. Grow the supporter base as new residents move into our area north of 466. And offering information venues that are more adaptive to current day communication trends, such as videos. Advertising through various communication channels, including Villages-News, Facebook, and Nextdoor, to inform new residents.
I plan to work on my infrastructure over the summer and kick off in the Fall.
Not all residents support my efforts, which prioritize residents over the developer. It’s puzzling why some neighbors oppose sharing information. Fortunately, these individuals are a small minority, and we need to question their resistance to knowledge.
I am proud of my CDD1 Board evolution under Rocky Hyder’s patient, common-sense, and no-nonsense leadership. With the addition of Mike Miller, who brings a rich resume of critical skills that benefit CDD1 residents, I am confident that my absence will not deteriorate CDD1’s success. I am endorsing Brian Goodman, who brings skill and diversity to the Board in the areas of law and accounting, which will strengthen the collective skills of the Board if he is appointed by the Board to fill the remainder of my term.
I have learned a great deal about the Villages’ governance over the past 18 months, as I began my journey to run for CDD1 Supervisor in January 2024. I accomplished most of what I set out to do, and now I have a clearer picture of what needs to be addressed to protect the promise made to residents.
I am EXCITED about this next phase of “The Rest of the Story”.
Residents interested in sharing my journey with me may contact me at [email protected].
Patsy Oburn is a resident of The Villages.