Community Survey Yields Disturbing Results

NOTE: This post was created by Joe Moore during his 2023 MCA Board member campaign.

Results of our resident initiated community wide survey are now finalized and they show that the MCA board has very little support for their current Tax and Spend policies.

On April 15, 2021 we mailed nearly 600 surveys to randomly selected addresses throughout the Meadows community. There were 138 surveys returned representing a 25% response rate, not bad since many part-time residents had already left the area for the summer.

Based upon a total population of approximately 3500 households, this survey has a margin of error of 9% and a confidence level of 95%. In other words, we can be 95% confident that the margin of error for any question will be within +/- 9% of the actual percentage if every homeowner in the Meadows had taken the survey.

The survey had 20 questions and we must admit some were poorly worded and misleading. For that reason, we have ignored responses to those questions and focused on the questions that were quite clear. Listed below are 6 of the most significant questions from the survey.

Question: How long have you owned your property in the Meadows?

Response: Fifty-six percent of respondents have lived in the Meadows for eight years or less and thirty percent have lived here for more than twenty years. It was interesting to note that twenty-three percent of those surveyed have lived here for three years or less. I believe Jan Lazar recently reported that we are seeing about 300 new residents per year (meaning we have about twenty-five percent of our residents who would say they have lived here for three years or less).

Question: Do you belong to the Meadows Country Club?

Response: Only ten percent of the respondents admitted to belonging to TMCC. Based upon the statistical information provided above, we can be 95 percent confident that membership by homeowners can be as high as nineteen percent and as low as one percent. Since this information is not public, it is impossible to make any comments.

Question: Do you believe MCA should subsidize TMCC?

Response: Seventy-six percent of homeowners oppose spending money to subsidize TMCC. The MCA board is taking the position that the money being spent is not subsidizing TMCC because the benefits of spending our money on TMCC is well worth the cost. In the coming months we will present a report showing how much we are spending annually and what we are getting for that money. You should be able to decide for yourself if we are/are not subsidizing TMCC.

Question: Do you support spending $4 million to construct a community wellness center, renovate TMCC’s swimming pool, and outdoor dining facility?

Response: Only eighteen percent of respondents agreed with that statement. With a margin of error of nine percent, agreement to this question by the entire community could be as high as twenty-seven percent but as low as nine percent. It is hard to believe that we are spending so much money on a project that is so poorly supported by residents and was overwhelmingly supported by the board of directors. I can’t wait to see if they put their names on the building.

Question: Do you support paying TMCC $600,000 per year for the Renaissance Card?

Response: Again, the MCA board is NOT listening to the homeowners. Nearly seven-eight percent of respondents are opposed to this benefit. If you are not sure how this card affects your tax (assessment) bill, just look at it this way. Without the card, every homeowner could have seen a twenty percent reduction in their 2020 bill. As an example, I would have saved about $385.

Question: Overall, are you supportive of how the board has raised assessments and spent our money following TMCC land and asset acquisitions?

Response: The strongest discontent came with this question. More than eighty percent of homeowners are unhappy with the performance of the MCA board. A logical question would seem to be in order, “Why do residents keep voting for board members that support the same policies?” The answer is easy. In our opinion, the MCA board manipulates the voting process so only like minded members can get on the ballot and get elected. In future blog posts, we will explain the nominating process and voting process and you will see why there is such a disconnect between the voting members and the MCA board.

The raw data of this survey is open and available to all who want to review it but the identity of the participants will be protected. The board loves to say that our work is not truthful. We have one thing to say about that position. We can prove everything we say with supporting documentation. If the board takes exception to our findings, let them prove their position and the homeowners can decide for themselves.