SELF-NOMINATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR THE 2026 HOA BOARD ELECTION WILL OPEN SEPTEMBER 7
The HOA Election Task Force, a group of resident volunteers, endeavors each year to promote and conduct a fair and competitive election for the HOA Board of Directors. In recent years the number of candidates running for board positions has declined. We are aware there is great talent, expertise and leadership skills among the many diverse homeowners in Carolina Arbors. But the prevailing attitude in the community seems to be someone else will serve. We want to share with you the parable below about where apathy leads our community if fewer and fewer individuals choose not to share their talents.
Perhaps your impression is that Board service is too much work. Maybe you are unaware that the role of the CA Board is to provide strategic thinking, high-level decision making, and well thought out policies, delegating the research, the details and the execution to the many HOA committees and to Associa, our management firm.
To offer a better understanding of how the Board functions and insight into the election process, the Election Task Force will be participating in the July 25 Club Expo in Piedmont Hall, and will hold a special briefing at 7 p.m. on August 11 in Piedmont Hall. More details about the briefing will soon be published.
An HOA Parable
Once upon a time there was a wonderful HOA community with all sorts of amenities and low monthly fees. The common amenities and grounds were well kept and property values remained high.
Many of the residents were academics, military leaders, and a wide variety of professionals in their former lives. Each year some of these people stepped up to run in an election for HOA board seats. And each year, the HOA board effectively supervised a management firm and a number of contractors, holding them accountable and assuring that the character of the community that attracted residents in the first place was maintained as it had always been.
Until it wasn’t?
No one stepped up to serve on the board. All the residents said someone else will do it. But there was no one else to do it. A management firm was the only alternative to take over. The firm owned no property in the community, so they really didn’t care whether property values remained high. And while they supposedly managed contractors and handled repairs, they weren’t really accountable to anyone. Poor decision making began leading to facility declines. Homeowner complaints fell on deaf ears. Conflict rather than congeniality ran rampart through the community. And HOA fees tripled.
This is obviously a worst-case scenario, but it is not implausible if no homeowners step forward to give some of their time and talents to assure our community continues to be the same place we all enjoy and appreciate. Can this happen here in Carolina Arbors? It was only three years ago when two board seats were open and only two candidates came forward. That election was declared over before it began. And, that’s perilously close to a worst-case scenario.
Our community is blessed with a large number of talented individuals with valuable experiences, skills and perspectives. Retired business executives, teachers, engineers, accountants, healthcare professionals, contractors and community volunteers all possess knowledge that would benefit the HOA. When those voices remain silent, the entire community loses. Contrary to what some believe, the demands of a board member in Carolina Arbors are not that time consuming and specialized skills are not required. You have a stake in this community. The HOA election starts just after Labor Day. Consider sharing your talents to keep Carolina Arbors a community of excellence.
CA Election Task Force