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“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  Marin Luther King, I have a Dream, 1963

Developer "Control" of Our HOA

The Developer has done a great job building an excellent community in Southern Highlands.  Nonetheless, after over twenty five years under its control, it is time the community be self-governed. The Developer’s ability to appoint three of the five directors has ended in my assessment. But, the Board has not acted to hold the required elections. When I sought answers, as one of only two elected owner representatives, the board retaliated and ousted me. Read why owner involvement is so important:

Do SHCA owners unnecessarily pay $ millions for "public" parks?

Eight parks and the Paseo in Southern Highlands were constructed by the Developer, as required under its Southern Highlands Development Agreement (SHDA) with the County, for which the developer received significant tax credits attached to housing units constructed.

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​I believe "public" parks constructed using public tax credits should be held in public hands. Accordingly, in 2005 as provided for in the SHDA, the developer attempted to transfer several of its completed parks to the County. That transfer never occurred for reasons the County has not provided.

 

After apparently coordinating with the County, the Developer subsequently transferred title to its parks with their associated maintenance obligations and liabilities to SHCA (most on or before 2008). This was allowed by Clark County officials, despite knowing of violations to provisions of the develop agreement. It was accepted by the SHCA board, without complying with terms of our CC&Rs, getting a vote/agreement of owners to assume the costs and liabilities of operating "public" parks, or providing the require acknowledgments per the SHDA.

 

   

     

Security for Homeowners and Our Families

A valued community must provide a safe environment for its residents. While I currently believe Southern Highlands is one of the safest places to live in Southern Nevada, our prosperity and growth has made us a target for crime. 

 

I see Clark County's failure to increase fees levied against developers (called PFNA) to fund public safety infrastructure as a major contributor to what in now an inadequate level of police and fire presence in SW Las Vegas. The growth in SW Las Vegas has not been funded by those creating and profiting by the growth- as our elected officials have long promised. Instead, the cost of our growth is being shifted to current residents.  

 

Paying higher assessment to fund our already sizable private security, if not the answer. As a SHCA director, I' advocated leveraging our community's significant political might and advocate for a greater police and fire presence. A significant adjustment upward of development fees, much as other locals like Henderson have long undertaken despite heavy resisted by the development community if what is needed. 

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This should be an important focus of owners and our association going forward.

Greater transparency from our Association Board

Transparency is the full, accurate and timely disclosure of information.  It is to be able to witness – through communication – what is being done and understand why.  Without transparency there can be no trust built up between any entity involved in the community association.

 

Owners deserve far greater transparency from the SHCA Board. Actions of the Board, like the ones listed here, too often alienate owners and are as I see it unacceptable.

  • Removing an elected director with no authority to do so, refusing to do so in a public hearing, and then failing to inform owners of what they have done- disenfranchising the owner majority who voted the removed director to represent them.

  • The Board refuses to get back to in-person meetings. The ability to attend board meetings virtually is good and needs to be retained. But the board must stop sheltering the manager and itself from direct criticism from dissatisfied or unhappy owners. The Board refuses to hold town halls and/or even meet with the elected directors of SHCA's many sub-associations. 

  • Not providing owners the tentative schedule of executive board meetings. Owners should be able to plan on attending community board meetings and not simply be informed of the next meeting just days prior. At a minimum and a practice previously employed by the Board, owners should be provided a tentative date for the next meeting at the end of each Board session. This practice should be resumed and tentative dates made available to owners (e.g. on the community web site, etc.).

  • Canceling meetings listed on the agenda (for example- the fall 2023 meeting) with no reason or alternative dates being provided. 

  • Not providing owners an annual budget in a timely manner as required. 

  • In prior years, albeit now corrected, the Board failed to provide me (and I assume other owners who so requested) a copy of the draft annual budget when requested and on the Board agenda for approval. Without a draft, owners can not engage our Board providing informed comments prior to its approval by the Board.   

  • Changing with no apparent notice our 2017 board election and putting a hold on the 2023 election with no clear explanation. 

  • Refusing to provide an independent group to administer our elections. The manager, wholly owned by the developer and dependent on the contract approved by the developer majority board, is not independent.

  • Mailing out more ballots than exist owners eligible to vote, then refusing owners sufficient access to election materials, most importantly a list of voters to whom ballots were sent, to confirm proper election administration. 

  • Holding the annual owners' meeting (and associated election vote count) on December 28th, at 10 am, between two major holiday periods. Really??? 

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In my estimate the above fails any measure of transparency, fails to demonstrate a desire to encourage owner involvement, and demonstrates poor leadership. If elected, I will work to end this.  

Assessments and Expense Control

We all recognize a quality product requires money to maintain. This applies to HOAs. However, in my opinion SHCA has a history of spending too much of our money on items that have not improved quality.  I believe we can significantly lower expenses, thus assessments, while maintaining quality.  Here is what I will push for on our behalf:

  • Renegotiate our very expensive contract with Olympia Management (a developer owned business) which  was renewed last year without even going to bid. I estimate we currently pay as much as double what I believe we should for quality management services.

  • Immediately work to address the large park maintenance costs. Park related expenses are substantial and in my estimation account for almost half of the HOA’s total landscape, maintenance and utilities expenses. Most of these parks are "public parks" that should/could otherwise be paid by the County.

  • Address the huge potential liability owners are exposed to in operating "public" parks.

  • Never again, engage in the wasteful legal costs of the past. 

  • Never again allow the huge deficit spending that occurred in 2016.

Sports Park – the Great Failed Promise

The promise of a Sports Park has long attracted families to the Southern Highlands community. However, the County and Developer have repeatedly failed to deliver on their promises for the Sports Park, first set out in 2005.

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Our children have long needed neighborhood baseball and soccer fields. The Sport Park finally deliverer last year was some ten years late and is a far cry from that originally promised.  It lacks a single baseball field and as a whole, is significantly less than what was promised. In September 2015, the infrastructure of the Sports Park was drastically reduced. It is my assessment the change relieved the Developer of millions of dollars of private funding commitments. In return, it appears the County and SH citizens got absolute nothing while the SHCA board sat silently providing tacit approval.

 

I contend our current SHCA Board, controlled by the Developer, is not properly engaged. In contrast, the Mountains Edge community, with a Homeowner controlled Board, is engaged on behalf of owners and owners are benefiting. Mountain’s Edge benefited from a $23M in public funded parks maintained with public tax dollars. 

 

Read what the Review Journal had to say about the Sports Park.

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2025 Mike Kosor for Southern Highlands Board

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