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Letters to the Editor, Jan. 15-21, 2015

RESIDENT EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT BOARD PROCESSES

There a major problem in our 2,300-acre, 55-year age-restricted common-interest community of about 14,000 residents of which there are 7,779 unit owners who vote each year for some of the board directors.

To be realistic, there are several major problems, with the most pressing problem being operating three golf courses and restaurants that are open to the public and are real financial burdens because of severe under-usage and the losses that are generated. Cumulatively, the losses from these golf courses and restaurants over the years since 1997 when Del Webb, the developer, turned the management over to the unit owners are in the area of $23 million.

Our board of directors, current and past, are aware of this and are clearly not sufficiently concerned to make any substantial changes to alleviate this problem. Perhaps it is because a disproportionate number of them have been golfers and they recognize that the very senior unit owners many who became owners 20 years ago are incapable or disinterested in being able to follow and understand the actions that are taken by the board.

For example,the current board actually created this current Fiscal Year 2015 Budget with a planned massive deficit of $2,457,987. These are not my numbers; they are taken from the 2015 budget that was published Oct. 6, 2014.

Within the budget, there is also a reserve amount for the golf course of $42 per unit owner.

Therefore, realistically, non-golfers are paying $358 in their annual assessment to support a small number of our Sun City Summerlin golfers and those from the public who play here. This is 28 percent of our annual assessment of $1,284 per unit owner who hopefully will read and consider this when they vote for four board directors in the upcoming election this February.

— Bernard Silver, Las Vegas

RESIDENT OBJECTS TO NEW BOARD DIRECTOR

The Sun City Summerlin board has had several executive directors over the past few years. Each time, the board apparently goes through an exhausted search for the right person. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the situation with our latest executive director. The new director was initially elected to the board, which nearly everyone knows is a popularity contest rather than based on experience. This new member subsequently became the president. The experienced executive director recently departed the board and voted for the board president to become the new executive director without searching for an experienced person. This new executive director does not appear to have any experience for the job and is being paid $120,000 annually from our dues money. The board was questioned multiple times about the experience, ability and salary of the new executive director, and the board refused to respond. To properly and correctly resolve this situation, I strongly suggest the Ombudsman, City Council and Mayor’s office thoroughly investigate this situation and determine if there any possible corruption, collusion or the like occurring in Sun City Summerlin and openly advise Sun City residents of their findings ASAP.

— Steve Commander, Las Vegas

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