The 2004 Budget Packet, dated November 12, 2003, sent by the Mesquite Homeowners Association, has a calculation of $2,200,000.00 for a special assessment next year. This is designed to replenish the Country Club's reserve fund, which the Board anticipates will have a balance of $283,620.00 at the end of 2003.

The reserve funds, according to HOA Manager Bobbie Gaffney, "were not adequately funded over the years, which is why the funds are not available at this time for the necessary work." This work includes the cost of painting the buildings at Mesquite and repairing the streets within the complexes.

According to the mailing, which was sent to all Mesquite owners with the approval of the current Board of Directors, a final decision on this or any amount of special assessment is still to be decided:

"Please note that the $2,200,000.00 special assessment supplement was added for the purpose of a positive cash flow in 2004 to cover the cost of the street asphalt and building painting. This does not mean that there will be a special assessment. The Board is still in the process of exploring funding options to cover these expenses."

If the Board were to approve the entire $2,200,000.00 special assessment projection in one year, the cost to each of the 600 homeowners at Mesquite would be about $3,666 per owner. This would be in addition to the regular monthly dues that are currently $3780 a year, or $315 per month. Both combined payments would be nearly $7500 per owner. It appears, however, that a special assessment of some kind will be in the works again next year.

A special assessment of this size would require a vote of approval by the owners. This is one more reason why owners may want to retain their voter proxies, rather than cede them over to the HOA Board to vote them as they wish, as many part-time residents have done. Owners can still vote by mail. They simply need to request all voting materials to be sent to their mailing address by contacting the HOA office in Palm Springs. Owners may check at anytime to see what the status of their voting right currently is—and if they or the HOA have the right to cast their vote this year.

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To contact the Mesquite Board of Directors or the HOA manager on this or any other issue, just click on their web link on the left side of the cover/home page under “Resources” and type in your comments in the email box that will appear.