On Saturday, Sept. 24, during a special meeting at the Community Center, the NPOA approved a significant increase to the transfer fee from $175 to $335, which will supposedly plug a projected NPOA budget shortfall.

The problem, besides the shortfall, is that also left many in the audience with more questions than answers. Members in the community had very little notice of this increase, nor much of an opportunity to discuss it with their plat delegates, question, consider, or express concerns, both pro and con.

Most people, myself included, only learned of this proposed fee increase through a random post on the Fountain Hills Connections Facebook page just three days before the special meeting. The Facebook post, interestingly, was from an NPOA delegate who was rightly concerned about the lack of communication from the NPOA to the community concerning the increase prior to their vote.

Despite requests from community members in attendance at the special meeting to postpone the vote until more people were educated about the reasons for the increase—including the return of winter residents—the transfer fee was swiftly approved. So much for community input and community outreach.

Which begs the question: When is the next NPOA fee increase (or perhaps a new fee) quietly rubber-stamped before anyone gets a chance to question it?