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CDD Hopefuls Crowd Ballot

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 20, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL - Bob Koryus and his wife moved into the Meadow Pointe subdivision about 14 years ago and wanted to get involved in governing the gated community.

So when a seat on one of Meadow Pointe's community development districts opened up two years ago, he jumped at the opportunity to serve on the five-member board.

With his four-year term expiring this year, he's running for re-election.

"This is a wonderful place to live," Koryus said. "But I want to make it better."

Challenging him is Dawn Khalil, a 47-year-old graphic designer for the University of South Florida's Mental Health Institute, who moved here about seven years ago.

"I've never run for political office before," she said. "But I wanted to get involved."

Come Election Day, the two will be among those squaring off in dozens of contested races for seats on CDDs, special taxing districts that pocket Pasco County's landscape like mini-townships.

Voters in Meadow Pointe and 12 other subdivisions - Lake Bernadette, Oakstead, Longleaf, Seven Oaks, Preserve at Wilderness Lakes, Heritage Pines, Heritage Springs, Lexington Oaks, Lake Padgett Estates, Meadow Woods, The Groves and Northwood - go to the polls Nov. 4 to elect members of the quasi-political boards that govern them.

The people elected into CDD leadership wield tremendous power. They decide how much residents pay in special tax assessments, for security patrols and new sidewalks. They grapple with six-figure budgets and oversee thousands of dollars in tax revenue.

Unlike homeowners associations, CDD elections are public contests overseen by the county, which counts and certifies the ballots. And taxpayers are footing the bill.

Pasco's Election Supervisor Brian Corley said CCD candidates are required to qualify just like candidates for state and county races, either by petition or by paying a fee; file regular contribution and expenditure reports and are subject to state election laws.

"They have to go through the same process as other political candidates," he said.
Corley said he's not concerned about the burden on the county; at least not yet.

"It's certainly a crowded field," he said. "But I don't think we're at the breaking point yet."

Even so, this year's ballot is packed. There are 71 candidates for CDD boards on the ballot. In 2006 elections, just two years ago, there were only 23 names on the ballot. That's only 17 of the 35 community development districts currently on the county's books.

When the districts are created, the subdivision developers serve as the board for the first six years; individual homeowners who live in the community are elected after that.

In coming years, as more subdivisions come under the control of homeowners, the roster of CDD candidates could grow well beyond 200, eclipsing the ranks of those who run for the county commission, school board and other public offices.

The special taxing districts - a popular financing tool for developers across the state and country - operate as independent government entities.

Supporters say the special districts alleviate the development's financial burden on taxpayers in surrounding areas and enrich the county's tax base. Critics say the districts act as private fiefdoms, providing no public scrutiny of potential conflicts of interest.

Typically, they're governed by five-member boards, initially selected by the developers. The boards have the authority to issue bonds and levy special taxes and assessments on the homeowners, who pay additional fees along with their county and city property taxes.

The state Legislature passed the law creating the districts in 1980 to help relieve the burden of building new roads and installing water and sewer lines on cash-strapped local governments.

There are more than 300 CDDs in Florida, most of them in affluent subdivisions. Pasco has one of the state's largest concentrations.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (727) 815-1082 or cwade@tampatrib.com.

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