05/01/2026
YLOA Board letter to the community
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To our beloved neighbors,
Recent community outreach has provided us, as board members, with an opportunity to connect with our neighbors and explain the context surrounding recent decisions and current community events.
The Board remains fully committed to and focused on its fiduciary duty to act in the best long-term financial interests of the Association. We have rolled up our sleeves and devoted significant time and effort to preparing the upcoming fiscal year budget and ensuring the Association remains financially stable.
Over the past several years, the cost of nearly everything has risen exponentially. Fuel, food, utilities, insurance, materials and labor have, in some cases, risen as much as 50 percent. While these inflationary pressures have impacted all of us individually, their impact on the Association is broader and more pronounced due to the scale of services and obligations involved.
These rising cost pressures, combined with our statutory responsibilities under the Davis-Stirling Act to maintain and preserve our common areas, place the Association at a financial crossroads. To continue meeting these obligations and funding reserves for future repairs, assessments must realistically reflect current economic conditions. We must strengthen our financial position through increased assessments or risk losing the ability to fund future repairs.
In a community that is over 50 years old, the aging infrastructure requires ongoing maintenance and repairs and periodic replacements. Setting aside funds for these inevitable expenses is not discretionary; it is a financial reality we cannot ignore.
The Board continuously evaluates how to balance long-term financial stewardship with the immediate impact of assessments on homeowners. Assessment increases are never taken lightly, but they are sometimes required to protect the Association’s future.
Service on the Board is voluntary and inherently public. Directors receive no compensation and do not benefit financially from their role. Board members contribute significant personal time, energy, and expertise to fulfill their responsibilities entrusted to them by the membership through community elections. With that service comes scrutiny and criticism.
While engagement and differing viewpoints are a normal and healthy part of community governance, hostility, personal accusations and unfounded claims, while an unfortunate reality of volunteer leadership roles, are counterproductive and do not serve the best interests of the community. The Board is committed to transparency and remains available to engage with homeowners, provide relevant information, clarify decisions, clear up misunderstandings, and address concerns in a constructive and informed manner.
Avoiding difficult decisions may reduce short-term discomfort, quiet criticism, and improve re-election prospects. However, it would undermine the Association’s long-term stability. This Board is committed to acting responsibly and transparently, even when those decisions are challenging.
At this critical juncture, we ask for your support in building the future of our association. We remain dedicated to doing everything we can to ensure Yosemite Lakes Park is not just a neighborhood, but a thriving community – not only today, but for years to come.
