Excellent analysis and summary of the financial state of the Village, The questions posed are the right ones! They need to be answered in detail and those answers incorporated into whatever plan is going to emerge for the future. Without these answers any “plan” will be incomplete. Great Job Tom.

The “audit” if you will, is really nothing more than an assessment that GAAP has been followed and that items were basically put in the right buckets. It is not an audit of processes, procedures, management effectiveness, etc.

I know I will take grieve for saying this, but the truth sometimes hurts. If we continue down the path of allowing staff to control the narrative instead of the board, the results will be the same. A major culture shift must occur for anything to really happen and as much as I appreciate the dedication and goodwill intent of our staff, they don’t know what they don’t know and can only operate from what they have been taught. We have great employees who are trying to do the best they can with what they have to work with. Problem isn’t, and never has been, anything other than poor management and ineffective boards. Try to change the culture and Kathy Bar The Door! Without a quantum culture shift, expect more of the same while the focus will simply remain on fixing our issues by raising assessments. Failed before and will fail again if that path is followed.

Our FRATF Committee seeks property owner questions/comments/suggestions, but like the 40+-page Tom Blakeman “plan” of years past, I doubt this negative lengthy commentary will be well received by anyone except his most ardent supporters. Most of the recommendations (those that are legal) have already been discussed or are presently under consideration.

Among the unworkable suggestions, the author proposes a “no‐fee policy” for Fitness Center, Pools, Dog Park, Library, Lawn Bowling, Pavilions and Meeting Rooms, etc., but his many numbers don’t include the increased subsidy expense. Emphatically, he insists no assessment increases can be considered until every penny spent in HSV history is accounted for and those who spent it are held “accountable”. This is not a “plan” or “solution”.

It’s expected that submissions to the FRATF be respectful. Comments such as “property owners who neither Golf or Live on a Lake must NOT continue support those who do or the lifestyle they enjoy” suggests the rich are taking advantage of the poor. What does living in a home valued under $200,000 have to do with wealth status? Many have no desire to live in a large golf course or lake home. All who have chosen to live in HSV knew there were countless amenities to be enjoyed or ignored. Every amenity adds value to our individual properties and community attraction.

Our POA staff does not deserve condescending insults and criticism; “the Village should get GREAT PERFORMANCE, not back talk, grievances and whining” and “employees only exist to serve”. The author’s resentment is apparent relative to titles, salaries and benefits our employees receive. Most of us enjoyed those benefits and much more before retirement decades ago. No POA position is mentioned respectfully, including: “someone who started out as a mere secretary” or our executives – referred to as “hired hands”.

If our hard-working POA staff members and countless volunteers read this latest Tom Blakeman “analysis”, I hope they consider the source. One that has never issued a commendation to any of you that I’m aware of. I hope one day he’ll use his writing skills in a more positive and productive manner.