Westchase falls under the jurisdiction of federal, state and county governments. In addition, the community is governed by two entities: the Westchase Community Development District (CDD) and the Westchase Community Association (WCA). A number of Westchase neighborhoods also lie within sub-homeowners’ associations.
What is the CDD?
The CDD is a special taxing district governed by state law. It levies assessments against homeowners to pay for maintenance of common areas. CDD taxes appear in the non-ad valorem portion of residents’ county property tax statements. In general, the CDD is responsible for the maintenance of common areas, with the exception of the swim and tennis facilities which are the responsibility of the WCA.
CDD responsibilities include landscaping of these areas as well as the maintenance of parks, retention ponds, rights of way and conservation areas. They also maintain signage, fencing, entrance gates, the alleys in West Park Village and curbside trees within some neighborhoods. They also undertake other services to the community, such as cleaning up after hurricanes by cutting back trees that have fallen into our streets.
A CDD is organized similarly to other local governments in Florida, with a legislative body composed of a five-member board known as the Board of Supervisors. The Board establishes the policy of the District in accordance with Florida law. By law, they must hire a District Administrator and District Counsel.
The current CDD District Manager is Andy Mendenhall of Inframark and the Counsel is Erin McCormick of Erin McCormick Law. Current board members are Matt Lewis of Wycliff, Greg Chesney of the Bridges, Chris Barrett of the Bridges, Reggie Gillis of Harbor Links/The Estates and Jim Wimsatt of Radcliffe. CDD resident supervisors serve four-year staggered terms and are elected during the General Election on the first Tuesday in November in even years.
The CDD contracts with two vendors to handle their two biggest parts of maintenance. Fieldstone handles all landscaping of the district. A&B Aquatics currently handles pond maintenance. Outside of the contracted landscaping company, the CDD staff consists of Field Manager Doug Mays, Office Manager Sonny Whyte and two other CDD staff members, Livon Soto and Christian Guaba, who handle many of the in-house maintenance duties. CDD staff work out of the maintenance building behind Westchase Elementary School’s faculty parking lot.
How to contact the CDD
Questions and maintenance requests for the CDD should be directed to Field Manager Doug Mays at 920-4268 or via e-mail at cdd@westchasecdd.com. Contact information for the District Manager and Board of Supervisors can be found here. To learn more about the CDD, visit their website at westchasecdd.com.
What is the WCA?
The Westchase Community Association (WCA) is your HOA. It is responsible for the maintenance of the community’s two swim and tennis facilities and the enforcement of the community’s deed restrictions, contained in the community’s “constitution,” a document called Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CCRs). The WCA also oversees their facilities’ swim and tennis programs. Each year, residents pay an annual assessment ($321 in 2022) that fluctuates based on the annual budget, which is approved by the board. Approved budgets can be found at westchasewca.com/government/wca-hoa/budgets.
A copy of the CCRs is provided to each homeowner at closing. In addition, homeowners are bound by subsequent groups of rules (deed restrictions) called Bylaws and Guidelines, which further define resident responsibilities and restrictions. All of these are available for viewing on the WCA Web site at www.westchasewca.com, under Residential Info, Docs & Forms. The association is currently managed by Greenacre Properties, Inc., which has three representatives on-site at the Parley Drive office building: Senior Manager Debbie Sainz, Assistant Manager Charlotte Adams and Office Assistant Cyndy Moses. They can be reached at (813) 926-6404.
There are two main government entities within the WCA. The first is a group of representatives called voting members (VMs), one of which is elected from each of the 32 neighborhoods, subdivisions or homeowner associations in Westchase. (Also elected are two to four alternates for these seats.) VMs serve two-year terms and elect the WCA Board of Directors. They also play a significant role in changing guidelines and amending the Bylaws and CCRs (which are usually reviewed every two years). All of their names and contact information can be found in the reference section in the back of each WOW. The can also be found on the WCA website under the specific neighborhood name in the Residential Info.
The second government entity within the WCA is the Board of Directors. There are currently seven directors who serve two-year terms of office. Directors cast a single vote on all issues. They oversee the work of the association manager and set policies and operational rules for the association. WCA directors also set the annual budget for the facilities and collect association dues. Finally, they appoint a number of committees that oversee aspects of community life. Residents can contact directors by phone or e-mail or share their opinions at the monthly Resident Forums that precede WCA meetings. Current board members are WCA President Shawn Yesner , Vice President Michele DelSordo, Treasurer Michiel Oostenbrink, Secretary Terry Boyd, GAC Chair Rick Goldstein, Director Jim Brinker and Director Jack Maurer. Their contact information can be found here.
The WCA association managers enforce deed restrictions and seek bids for facilities’ maintenance issues. They also oversee association staff, such as Facility and Operations Manager Dwight Kilgore. Kilgore, in turn, maintains the swim and tennis facilities and their staff.
A number of committees constitute an integral part of the WCA. These include the Covenants Committee, the Government Affairs Committee (GAC), the Modifications Committee, the Variance Committee, the Stork Club and the Welcome Committee. The association is constantly seeking resident volunteers for the committees. Contact information for each chairperson is located in the reference section of WOW.
Finally, some neighborhoods (as well as similar types of homes in West Park Village) are also governed by their own sub-homeowners associations. Berkeley Square, The Enclave, Glencliff, Saville Rowe, Stonebridge, The Vineyards, Woodbridge and the Villas of West Park Village are examples of these neighborhoods, which have additional annual assessments and deed restrictions.
A good way of better understanding your WCA and CDD is to read WOW’s coverage of their meetings each month. HOA coverage can be found here. CDD coverage can be found here. Better yet, attend one of their meetings. There is a resident forum at the beginning of each meeting where residents can bring up any concerns.
