COURTESY : The Daily Commercial

By Megan Shannon

Published May 27, 2006 

THE VILLAGES — District 4 supervisors plan to band together with other districts to hand off responsibility for recreation trail maintenance.

Supervisors have been cleaning house lately, trying to make sure their residents are being treated fairly.

There are three other districts within The Villages Center District. On Friday, District 4 decided they would have more clout if other district representatives were with them when they ask the Center District to pay for the trail maintenance.

Supervisor Paul Kelly said trail maintenance hardly costs a thing because the trails are new. The district is fighting for this because, as the trails age, the maintenance bill is going to grow.

Jimmy Crawford, attorney for District 4, said The Villages of Lake Sumter Inc. was clear about maintenance responsiblities when it gave the district the land on which the trail was built.

Supervisor Chuck Kazlo argued that the trail was built on the land after it was given to the district.

“We never agreed that it was our responsibility,” he said. “This does not mean we have to maintain it.”

But Crawford said they are the only ones who can pay for the trails once the Center District passed the buck.

“You can assume you don’t have the responsibility, but then who does? Either we maintain it or noone does,” Crawford said.

Residents are worried they are being charged twice. Elaine Dreidame said that when she bought her home, she was told all recreation maintenance, including the trails, would come out of her amenity fees. The amenity fees are paid to the Center District and maintenance fees are paid to each district.

“If I pay for them with amenity fees, but I also pay the district for them, then I am paying double,” she said. “So it’s either consumer fraud or false advertising. I would like to see the board, on behalf of the residents, look into it.”

Center District Manager Pete Wahl assured the board that the subject will be addressed during the Villages Center District meeting next Friday.

“We are going to ask the VCCDD to pay for all of the recreation trails. I want the amenity fee to be used,” Kelly said.