The situation is only going to get worse unless we start thinking about it now. We are not going to give up on this place and hope you feel the same way.
So what are the advantages of incorporating into a town?
1- As a town we the residents can control local issues. Some feel this is the single most important advantage. Local residents through their elected town council, will have more control over their own destiny.
2- A town council can enact and enforce
ordinances. Local elected officials can decide what services will be offered and at what level. As an incorporated municipality we would have more control over public areas and facilities, including roadways, common grounds, etc.
3- Public services can be improved. County governments are not structured, or often equipped to provide a satisfactory level of services in areas of concentrated population. In areas of denser population there becomes a need for services such as security, sanitation, street maintenance and recreation areas. Because county officials are responsible for the entire unincorporated area of the county, their ability to give particular attention to a densely populated area is limited. Incorporating will give you more bang for your buck, moneys collected will find there way back into the incorporated community.
4- Economic development opportunities. As
a town we would be eligible for certain state programs which provide technical assistance and funding for economic development programs and projects.
5- A town has the ability to garner revenues.
We saved this for last, but we feel this is the most important of all. As a town we would receive a share of certain state-collected taxes, including auto excise, motor fuel, alcohol and tobacco taxes. These tax proceeds will help the town provide a higher level of services than we receive from the county, which currently is none. The town will also be able to apply for certain state and federal grants.
The down side to this is that our taxes will go up. But before we jump to any conclusions let's look at the current situation. We all know that we will soon be asked to pay substantially higher POA dues. To not raise them would be to write off this community. Also some people have a higher investment in this community and will be asked to pay a higher tax than others.
Is this fair? Yes, they have more to lose if things are not taken care of. Can your POA dues be deducted on your personal income taxes? No. Property taxes can. Can the POA get outside financial help? No. A town can!
We hope you are seeing a clearer picture now of why we feel that incorporating into a town makes a lot of sense. Please join us in this effort. There will be a meeting on Saturday April 2 @ Noon at the Beach House.
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS
Although we are moving forward to become a town, we still have to function as a property owners association. You may recall, the past two POA Boards of Directors have tried to get amendments to the restrictive covenants passed with no success. The current board is going to make one more attempt to update them. We will be mailing you a ballot to vote on the changes. When we do this please return the ballot and have your vote count. Before we mail them we want to explain to you what is changing and why.
The Restrictive Covenants are just one of four documents that govern the POA and its members. In addition there are the Articles of Incorporation, the By-Laws and Community Rules and Regulations. The Restrictive Covenants is the "dos and don'ts" of what can be done with a property and provides for the appearance of the community as a whole. Without this document there is no control over what your neighbor could do with his property. Let's look at some of the changes being made. The bolded italicized portion of the sentence is what is changing or being added.
Item 1- Easements: All easements are for utilities and drainage as shown on recorded plat and are hereby reserved for maintenance and repair. No structure may be built upon said easements without first obtaining permission in writing from the VanBibber Lake Property Owners Association, Inc. Board of Directors, all Utility Board of Directors and the Putnam County Planning Commission. The cost of any relocation of utilities may be bore by the property owner. Proper relocation of any utility must be determined and approved by the utility.