Community Development Districts (CDDs)
A CDD is a governmental unit created to serve the long-term specific needs of its community. Created pursuant to chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes, a CDD’s main functions are to plan, finance, construct, operate and maintain community-wide infrastructure and services specifically for the benefit of its residents.
What will the CDD Do?
The District constructued master roadway improvements, extended potable water, irrigation water and santitary sewer to development parcels, and landscape improvements on portions of roads within the District. The District also funded the costs of arterial streetlights within the District, irrigation to common areas, construction of entrances, gatehouses and gates, community pools, recreation and meeting centers, an equestrian center, and a master stormwater management system and wetlands conservation areas.
How CDDs Operate
A CDD is governed by its Board of Supervisors which is elected initially by the landowners, then begins transitioning to residents of the CDD no sooner than the sixth year, and not before there are 250 qualified electors (Florida registered voter and permanent resident of the District) in the District. Like all municipal, county, state, and national elections, the Office of the Supervisor of Elections oversees the vote, and CDD Supervisors are subject to state ethics and financial disclosure laws.
The CDD’s business is conducted in the “Sunshine,” which means all meetings and records are open to the public. Public hearings are held on CDD assessments, and the CDD’s finances are subject to annual independent audit.
Relationship with the Reunion Resort and Club of Orlando Master Association
The CDD and Master Association responsibilities differ in that the Master Association is responsible for maintaining and enforcing all of the covenants, conditions, restrictions related to use of homeowner’s property in Reunion Resort. Any planned new construction, additions, or exterior modification to existing structures or landscaping must first be reviewed and approved in writing by the Architectural Review Committee (ARC), whose members are appointed by the Master Association Board.
Contact David Burman, President, of Aegis Community Management Solutions, Inc. at 863-967-8560 for information about property use restrictions (parking issues, pets, or any nuisances). Master Association website access information PDF | RTF.
Benefits to Residents
Residents within a community with a CDD may expect to receive three major classes of benefits. First, the CDD provides landowners consistently high levels of public facilities and services managed and financed through self-imposed fees and assessments. Second, the CDD ensures that these community development facilities and services are maintained at a proper level. Third, CDD residents elect the Board of Supervisors, which is able to determine the type, quality and expense of CDD facilities and services.
Other savings are realized because a CDD is subject to the same laws and regulations that apply to other government entities. The CDD is able to borrow money to finance its facilities at lower, tax-exempt, interest rates, the same as cities and counties. Many contracts for goods and services, such as annually negotiated maintenance contracts, are subject to publicly advertised competitive bidding.
The Cost of a CDD
The cost to operate a CDD is borne by those who benefit from its services. Landowners/homeowners in the CDD are subject to a non-ad valorem assessment, which appears on their annual property tax bill from the county tax collector and may consist of two parts—an annual assessment for operations and maintenance, which can fluctuate up and down from year to year based on the budget adopted for that fiscal year—and an annual capital assessment to repay bonds sold by the CDD to finance community infrastructure and facilities, which annual assessments are generally fixed for the term of the bonds. Because costs and services vary depending upon the individual CDD, specific fee information is available for each community. The District’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30.
Community Development District FAQs
. Who governs the Reunion East CDD?
A. The CDD is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors elected initially by the land owners on a one acre/one vote basis. No sooner than the 6th year, and not before there are 250 qualified electors (Florida registered voter and permanent resident of the District) in the District, Supervisors will begin to be elected by the Districts qualified electors (Florida registered voter and permanent residents of the District).
Q. What facilities are in the District?
A. The District financed and constructed infrastructure improvements necessary for the development of residential and commercial tracts within the District including roadways, water and wastewater and electrical infrastructure, stormwater management, landscaping, and recreation facilities. For a detailed list of constructed facilities, please see the Financial Disclosure and the Revised Engineers Report.
Q. What specific services does the District provide for landowner/homeowner within the District?
A. The District provides maintenance on all infrastructure that was constructed within the District. Items constructed in the Reunion Resort include roads, arterial streetlights and landscaping within the District, irrigation to common areas, construction of entrances, gatehouses and gates, certain community pools, certain recreation and meeting centers, an equestrian center, and a stormwater management system including certain ponds and wetlands conservation areas.
Q. How are CDD services financed?
A. The CDD issues Special Assessment Revenue Bonds to finance community infrastructure. Generally, Community Development Districts assess each property owner a yearly capital debt service assessment to pay back those bonds over a 30 year period. This is the amount that appears on your tax bill as a portion of the Reunion East CDD assessment. This debt service assessment is a “lien” that is placed on your property to ensure bond payments are made. This lien is on the property, and is not required to be “paid off” before the property is sold. The debt service obligations on your parcel can be paid off prior to the amortization schedule by the landowner/homeowner. For information on your individual debt service payoff amount, please contact the District Office.
In addition, to maintaining the CDD facilities of the community and administering the CDD, the CDD conducts a public hearing each year at which it adopts an operating and maintenance budget. The funding of this budget is levied as an operating and maintenance assessment on your property by the Board of Supervisors. All landowners/homeowners pay for a share of the maintenance of the CDD improvements through this annual assessment. The debt assessment was set at the time of the bond issue, and is reaffirmed by the Board annually during the budget process.
Q. How are annual operations and maintenance assessment determined?
A. The annual operating and maintenance assessment amount will be set annually by the Board of Supervisors through the statutorily required budget process.The District’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. For information about the current budget, please see the Financial Information tab. The debt assessment is reaffirmed by the Board annually during the budget process.
Q. Will Reunion East’s developers pay assessments?
A. Yes. Reunion East’s developers/landowners will pay assessments on all developable land within the District that is owned by the developer.
Q. What are the ongoing responsibilities of the CDD?
A. The ongoing responsibilities of the CDD are to administer CDD bonds, operate and maintain the CDD facilities for the benefit of landowners/homeowners.
Q. What is the Interlocal Agreement between the Reunion East CDD and the Reunion West CDD regarding the Joint Maintenance and Reciprocal Usage of Facilities?
A. For the landowners/homeowners within the Reunion East CDD and the Reunion West CDD, this agreement provides reciprocal usage and joint operations and maintenance costs of the respective facilities and improvements within each District. Some of these facilities and improvements are roadways, gatehouses and gates, landcaping, and certain recreational faciliuties constructued by the Districts. Should you have any questions regarding this agreement, please contact the District Manager.
Q. How Do I Find Out More About the Reunion East Community Development District?
A. For more information about the Reunion East Community Development District, please contact the District Manager’s Office.