Chronological list of Member Matter Posts
Update – November 13th, 2025
Villages Bylaws Update – What to Know Before You Vote
We support The Villages in updating their bylaws and wanted to share a brief analysis of key points for residents to consider before voting.
We also appreciate the proposal — suggested by several residents — to have separate line items on the voting ballot for each major category below.
Town Hall Reminder:
Join the discussion tonight at 5:30 PM at the Cribari Center to make your voice heard!
Four Major Points to Review
- Updates to Terminology and Definitions of Capital Expenses
These sections need to be clarified and resolved to ensure consistency and transparency in financial reporting. - Electronic Voting
The bylaws include provisions for electronic voting, though it will not be implemented until it becomes cost-effective. When available, residents will still have the option to vote by paper ballot or use a computer in the Administrative Offices. - New Source of Revenue via a Capital Fund Fee
We support exploring new ways to generate revenue for The Villages, provided it also helps reduce monthly dues. This Capital Fund fee which would be an additional closing cost when selling your home to someone who is not currently a Villages resident. It would not be assessed when transferring to a family beneficiary through trust or probate.
The amount can of the proposed fee can be up to 3 times the annual Members’ dues. Currently at $540 per month, that could be up to $19,440 ($540 x 12 = $6,480. $6,480 x 3 = $19,440). The bylaws committee recommendation is the flat fee of $10,000. This would result in fees of:
- 2% on a $500,000 sale
- .66% on a $1,500,000 sale
It’s up to residents to decide whether this is fair or whether a percentage or sliding scale (e.g., under $500,000, $500,000–$1,000,000, etc.) would be more equitable. This would follow the standard that many of the largest closing costs are based on a percentage of the home’s purchase price or loan amount, including real estate agent commissions, title insurance, and some taxes.
This fee is paid by the closing, and is negotiated between buyer and seller.
- Threshold Required for a Villager Member Vote for Capital Improvements
The current proposal allows the Club Board to initiate projects up to 10% of the Club Operating Budget (approximately $2.2 million) without a vote of the Club Membership.
You may wish to consider whether you are comfortable with this limit or prefer a lower threshold (for example, $750,000 or $1,000,000) before member approval is required, to be adjusted annually using COLA.
Your vote matters — please take time to review the proposals carefully and share your feedback.
Update – August 3rd, 2025
The Villages is launching a Villages-wide survey this week about the future of our Community. It is extremely important to respond, but please read it carefully before responding to any questions. Surveys are often worded to give the response the sender desires.Wanting new amenities and improvements may be desirable, but they must be weighed against sharply higher Club dues. With a record number of 51 homes listed for sale, many Realtors state our property values are dropping due to higher dues costs, with homes remaining longer on the market.A few of the questions have an open-ended response. This is the place to indicate whether you really want a “high class Country Club environment”, at the cost of much higher Club dues. Most buyers say they are attracted to the ambiance, activities, safety, and friendliness of The Villages, not to high-end upgraded facilities.
Members Matters congratulates the new Club Board, and hopes they will work to reflect our Community desires and priorities. There are three areas we feel are paramount to keeping The Villages the Community we all love:
- We are eager to see the revised bylaws that will be presented to our residents. There were significant rewrites last year, and we hope to see the concerns raised last year reflected in the new bylaws. We will be analyzing them when they are released.
- The Reserve study is posted on The Villages Member Portal. Read it, especially the five year plan starting on page 80. This year’s proposed spend will actually put us $2 million dollars further in the hole. We are reviewing it to see what areas we feel can be postponed. Do the same, and make your opinion known by attending monthly CBOD meetings (held at 1:30 the last Tuesday of the month, in person or on Zoom), writing Pulse letters, and emailing the Board.
- There will be a survey sent out to all Villagers in the next couple of months. It is crucial that you read the survey closely to ensure your answers reflect what YOU want the future of The Villages to look like!
Stay tuned for further information on this.
We are concerned that the Club Board of Directors (CBOD) is steering The Villages Golf & Country Club in the direction of huge HOA dues increases for the foreseeable future, revising longstanding good policies, etc., with limited or no input from the concerned villagers. We support adding funds to our reserves to maintain aging facilities and infrastructure.
However:
- Costs must be kept in check moving forward. Increases such as the 27.2% this year are not sustainable. We do not want to lose our Villages Community, and many members are being forced out.
We feel members did not move into the Villages looking for Aquatic Centers or a high-end Country Club. While amenities are attractive, most are looking for decent prices, safety, and reasonable assessments. - Concern: Some of the CBOD operating budget increases are necessary due to macro trends in insurance and utilities, others to correct past financial management policies. However, there have also been large increases in payroll, benefits, and legal and professional fees that have not been adequately explained or justified. At the same time, fee income from the Club’s golf facilities has not kept up with the Club’s cost of operation and are now significantly below most comparitive alternatives for golfers in the San Jose area by surveys taken by some members.
- Proposed Remedy: Hold detailed discussions with members to explore the biggest cost increase areas and what can be done to control these costs in the future. Previously there was a Finance Committee with Villagers that was sanctioned by the CBOD who reviewed major spending would provide recommendations.
- Concern: Branding & associated costs are not acceptable without the transparent communication and majority approval from villagers. The CBOD has adopted a strategic plan that will drive up member dues substantially while at the same time has let operating costs climb dramatically for several years.
- Proposed Remedy: We feel there must be approval by a majority of members for branding changes & associated costs.
- Concern: The CBOD has changed its policy to allow itself to invest up to 30% of Club reserves in equity ETFs. The CBOD made this change without allowing for a written vote by members. Previously only Treasury Bills, Bonds, and CD’s were allowed.
While equity investments are viewed favorably for individual investors who have a long-term investment horizon, Club Reserves are community funds and may not be appropriate for long-term investments. Furthermore, many villagers are concerned that US equities are at all-time high prices based upon a number of indicators such as price-earnings ratios.- Proposed Remedy: Put the decision to allow the CBOD to invest in equity ETFs to a written vote of the members.
Attend the 1:30 PM May 27th CBOD meeting at Foothill & 5:00 PM May the 28th town hall meeting at the Cribari Auditorium.
Listen, question, and demand answers.
Original post of October 2024
The Club BOD has scheduled a Town Hall meeting on October 14, 2024 at 6:30pm in the Clubhouse Fairway Room.
We wish to provide you with information about the proposed Bylaw Changes as each new version is presented and topics you should investigate further. The details of our concerns might change when we see the next version of the proposed Bylaws amendment. The top issues still persist through the first two proposed versions.
Some of the current concerns:
- Making sure Owners can vote on expensive new capital projects. The Club BOD wants to eliminate voting for any project below $3.5 million.
- New Owners will be charged up to $15,000 when they purchase your home. They may negotiate that you should pay that fee instead.
- Ensure Owners have direct input into the selection of major new capital projects and new or improved amenities.
- There are legal concerns about payment of a “Member Initiation Fee” being required for Membership in the Club when purchasing a home in The Villages. The Club has not provided a written legal opinion that the Initiation Fee is allowed by law, and is either not a transfer fee, or falls within the transfer fee prohibition exceptions of Civil Code 4580. (more details here)
- Electronic Voting is being proposed, but alternative written ballots must be required for those that don’t use computers, smart phones, etc.
- Safety of our Funds – there is no requirement that the Club Board put a primary focus on the safety of our Funds when they are invested.