The POA Board Directors must promise the following:
“We promise to address the Developer’s block/s of votes, and property owners’ election apathy. This combination, gives gated community developers control in all community elections. When it comes to true self-governance, this is Big Canoe’s most important issue.”
As one property owner has said: “Big Canoe’s POA Elected Directors are not elected, they are appointed by the Developer’s block of votes.”
When you have the votes to “appoint” Elected Directors, those who share your point-of-view of Big Canoe’s future, you control the POA Board of Directors. Under this same premise, you can control the selection of the Board President, resulting in absolute control of the Board, and therefore set your own agenda.
Big Canoe’s other elections are also greatly influenced by block voting. For example, the Sconti Restaurant/Amenities election was won by only 46 votes.
The Developer has a personal block-of-votes numbering approximately 100 votes. There is another block-of-votes that numbers well over 200 votes.
Most of Big Canoe elections are very close; a large block-of-votes will decide most of these elections.
The Directors must promise to look for ways to “fairly” (let me say again: fairly) limit block voting and to address property owner voting apathy.
(A “democratic” POA Board will never exist in Big Canoe until the POA Board Directors publicly make and fulfill the Six Promises.)
The purpose of this website is to provide meaningful information on how the Community of Big Canoe is governed. The property owners should discuss the promises listed below with the Big Canoe POA Board Directors and with the other Big Canoe property owners. A “democratic” POA Board will never exist in Big Canoe until the POA Board Directors publicly make and fulfill the Six Promises.
If these promises are important to you, ask the Big Canoe POA Board of Directors to commit to them.
If these promises are important to you, tell your friends and neighbors about them and this website.
If these promises are important to you, tell your friends and neighbors about them and this website.
From the author:
Everyone needs to realize that the Community of Big Canoe is a common interest development in which the Developer is still active and that things will not change anytime soon.
The Developer is doing everything possible (like any corporation) to protect his right to make a profit. Therefore, we need to realize that “some” of the Elected Directors are doing their best under difficult conditions, but they still must be fully truthful with the property owners.
There are opportunities for better governance under these conditions – seek out the voting records of the Elected Directors and analyze them, and if need be, voice your concerns to them and to your neighbors.
In the coming elections, ask the Developer to stand down from voting his block-of-votes and any other block-of-votes that he may have excess to.
If the Developer refuses, refuse to vote in that election, and tell others of your decision, as your vote worthless. See Promise Number Six.
If the Developer agrees, vote for the candidate who campaigns on real issues. Vote for the candidate who understands and shares your views on real community issues. And most importantly – VOTE in that POA election.
Only through change can we take control of our community’s governance. Therefore, ask the POA Board Directors to make and to uphold these promises.
Please feel free to share this website address with your friends and neighbors.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank the many property owners and past POA Board Directors who cared enough to contribute content to this website.
The Developer is doing everything possible (like any corporation) to protect his right to make a profit. Therefore, we need to realize that “some” of the Elected Directors are doing their best under difficult conditions, but they still must be fully truthful with the property owners.
There are opportunities for better governance under these conditions – seek out the voting records of the Elected Directors and analyze them, and if need be, voice your concerns to them and to your neighbors.
In the coming elections, ask the Developer to stand down from voting his block-of-votes and any other block-of-votes that he may have excess to.
If the Developer refuses, refuse to vote in that election, and tell others of your decision, as your vote worthless. See Promise Number Six.
If the Developer agrees, vote for the candidate who campaigns on real issues. Vote for the candidate who understands and shares your views on real community issues. And most importantly – VOTE in that POA election.
Only through change can we take control of our community’s governance. Therefore, ask the POA Board Directors to make and to uphold these promises.
Please feel free to share this website address with your friends and neighbors.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank the many property owners and past POA Board Directors who cared enough to contribute content to this website.
The original web site. It all started here.
More from the author:
Another purpose of this website is to help the property owners to better understand the POA Board’s method of operation, why our internal governance process is so unpleasant.
As a Big Canoe resident told a newcomer at the post office, “I love Big Canoe, but I hate the politics.” This website will help you better understand the underlying causes for this resident’s unhappiness.
Hopefully, this website will help to elect community officials who will change the POA’s governance process.
As a Big Canoe resident told a newcomer at the post office, “I love Big Canoe, but I hate the politics.” This website will help you better understand the underlying causes for this resident’s unhappiness.
Hopefully, this website will help to elect community officials who will change the POA’s governance process.
Community of Big Canoe - Related Links
These Are Must Reads! Governance of Property Owners Associations
Local Newspapers:
A Message From Billie Ann Rice (POA Board Director) – An Important Issue and More Questions
A Parting Director's View
Our Board today is trying to decide what it is. Is it a corporation or a Property Owner Association?
Of course, it is a corporation according to Georgia law, but it is also a POA made up of lot owners and homeowners. Some believe that our Board should emulate a corporation where the Board of the corporation is in charge and is not answerable to the property owners while others believe the POA should be directly involved in all decision making.
Probably the most important issue today is:
Should the governing structure of Big Canoe be designed as that of a corporation where the Board makes decisions which are passed down to the property owners, a top down approach, or do the property owners select Board members who try and represent them on Board issues, a bottom up approach?
In the first case, the Elected Directors believe they know what is best for Big Canoe and share information with the property owners after the decisions are made. Whereas, in the second case the Elected Directors consult and listen to the property owners prior to making decisions and try to represent the property owners in all decision making.
Having the President of the Board make decisions without being answerable to the property owners or any other Board members is a new concept to Big Canoe. This is not the way we have operated in the past, but it is the direction that the Board is moving now and maybe into the future. We have abolished the democratic governance structure of the past.
So the question becomes what type of governance do you want your Elected Directors to support, that of a corporation or a democratic POA?
"Should we have a corporate structure where the Board members know what is best for the Association or should the Elected Directors ask you the Property Owners to help them make decisions?"
Before casting your vote, ask yourself what type of governance you want and then ask each candidate where he stands on democratic vs. corporate governance.
Our Board today is trying to decide what it is. Is it a corporation or a Property Owner Association?
Of course, it is a corporation according to Georgia law, but it is also a POA made up of lot owners and homeowners. Some believe that our Board should emulate a corporation where the Board of the corporation is in charge and is not answerable to the property owners while others believe the POA should be directly involved in all decision making.
Probably the most important issue today is:
Should the governing structure of Big Canoe be designed as that of a corporation where the Board makes decisions which are passed down to the property owners, a top down approach, or do the property owners select Board members who try and represent them on Board issues, a bottom up approach?
In the first case, the Elected Directors believe they know what is best for Big Canoe and share information with the property owners after the decisions are made. Whereas, in the second case the Elected Directors consult and listen to the property owners prior to making decisions and try to represent the property owners in all decision making.
Having the President of the Board make decisions without being answerable to the property owners or any other Board members is a new concept to Big Canoe. This is not the way we have operated in the past, but it is the direction that the Board is moving now and maybe into the future. We have abolished the democratic governance structure of the past.
So the question becomes what type of governance do you want your Elected Directors to support, that of a corporation or a democratic POA?
"Should we have a corporate structure where the Board members know what is best for the Association or should the Elected Directors ask you the Property Owners to help them make decisions?"
Before casting your vote, ask yourself what type of governance you want and then ask each candidate where he stands on democratic vs. corporate governance.
POA Board Directors Email Addresses:
"Bob Crouch" rfcrouc@aol.com, "Fred Omundson" fomundson@aol.com, “Terry Bacigalupo” xterryb@tds.net, "John Lipkowitz" lipkowitz@alltel.net, "John Seferian" john@seferian.com, “Stephen N. Langway” stephen@langway.com, "Roger Klask" rhklask@aol.com,
