Sun City's Future...

While a small handful of naysayers argue the past is immaterial, those who understand the importance of history know it matters. Not so much from telling us the path, but better understanding the pitfalls as we move forward.

Ben and i are in the process of preparing our life long learning session on those earliest of years. Starting in 1959 and moving through the early 70's, there was constant drone that shaped Sun City that most of us love and live in. It is staggering the impact it had and will continue to as we move forward.

The topic of course is "Incorporation." We know from the deep dive we are doing, there was nothing more disruptive and more importantly, community shaping than the fight whether we become a City. Sadly, way too few residents/RCSC members understand the course the community was set on.

There was never any question from the "power players" in the community, Sun City would incorporate. The only question was; when? The push began in 1961. The argument was "revenue sharing" would fund the city for years and years.

The problem was, revenue sharing was based on the 10 year census data. In 1960, the population was 200. This provided the impetus to push the date to 1964 for approval and the community could do a mid-10-year count in 1965. It would cost .17 per person for the survey/count.

The projected revenue sharing return would easily fund any and all startup costs associated with running a city. DEVCO even offered free land for a City hall that would house the Mayor, council members and the various departments they would need add.

The one fly in the ointment was those living here wanted no part in the same arrangement they had back where-ever they came from. It was voted down in 1964 by a large margin of those eligible to vote. As in every vote, life went on and the next push would come in 1971 after the 1970 census.

The rest of the story is clear; It never did happen, those living here didn't want to be a city. They liked/loved life in a community of folks who ran themselves through aggressive self-governance. They filled virtually every void that was created by not being a city as they created volunteer organizations.

The bigger problems often came from the loosely structured organizations, as they were created as interim stop gaps until the City was formed and a local government body took over. There's no better example than SCHOA. They were never expected to deal with the myriad of issues they have on their plate.

I know for some, this is too obtuse a stretch to understand why this matters. Oh well. For others, as we start digging, you will see why we have the infighting over all of the problems the RCSC and the community is facing. Changing societal tendencies are part of the problem, but it goes way beyond that.

We'll do that deeper dive and try and begin to fit the puzzle pieces together as we go. It's fascinating.

 

Let me start with this premise: I'm old. I know, so is everyone else in Sun City; hell, half of them may be older than me (maybe 40%). The point is this: Sun City's future should be determined by those in their prime, not past it. The Sun City Advocates were successful in electing candidates who helped change the direction we were headed in. Now is the time for others in the community to step up, show up and forge a path forward.

For the uninitiated in our history, by 1964, two groups of residents had organized to fight incorporation. In fact, the community has a history of pushing back on a direction some saw as wrong-headed. None were more important than the incorporation battles. As noted above, virtually every one of those organizations begun in the early 60's were loosely crafted because those in control knew we were going to become a city.

Boy were they wrong. 60 plus years later, we are still sorting out that choice made by members. And to be clear, there was only one time we voted on it; in 1964. The next big push was in 1971 when SCHOA took a "straw poll" vote. It went down to defeat by a 95% margin. It was so soundly beaten back, SCHOA added language to their bylaws they would never embrace or endorse the issue again.

The next push came in the late 70's and early 80's when the non-binding neutral (it wasn't) Farrell report was published. By then groups for and against were actively debating the question and DEVCO (as they were leaving to go to Sun City West) commissioned the effort. If you ever take the time to read it, the slant was clearly on Sun City becoming a city. The 80's was fraught with some nasty back and forth, but like earlier attempts, the push died for lack of energy from those living here.

Those early battles have left a lingering affect on us to this day. Without a city government we are left to our own devices and for organizations to attempt to do what a city government could "force" us to do. Of course, the missing piece of the equation is the property tax question that comes with city services. No one is quite sure how much that would have been but the best guess is much higher than the what we are paying for RCSC fees coupled with state and county taxes.

The bigger difference would be the shape and texture of the community. Would we be the city of volunteers? Would we need SCHOA? The PRIDE? The POSSE? Or an even larger question; what function would the RCSC have? It's easy to point to Sun City West (who had their own battles over incorporation) or Sun City Grand that is incorporated as a part of Surprise, but realistically had Sun City been incorporated in say 1971 (or earlier) both of those communities would look wholly different than they do today.

Sun City was the first of its kind and set the tone for everything that followed. It's also left us to be creative and able to solve and resolve every problem from an internal position. The struggle, as we have seen is, as boomers first started arriving and now Gen X are moving in, expectations are changing and more owners just want what they want. The greater good the greatest generation believed is less a thing.

To be blunt, this isn't an attack on any generation. It is just acknowledging times and people have changed. It's why i began this piece with the fact "i am not the future." New buyers, new owners need become involved and committed to sorting it out. Those choices made in the 60's and 70's to not become a city set us up to be self-governed, to take ownership, accountability and responsibility to heart.

We have learned the hard way, by farming it out solely to the hired help, we lose sight of the big picture. There are and will be no easy answers. There are answers and we need find them. Our path forward was carved out from our past. It's why i have always argued our history matters. It always will.

 

We do not copy our form of government from others, rather we are an example to others.
From the Funeral Oration of Pericles, Athens 430 BC

History does repeat itself.

 

Dave. those that do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. I leave it to Bill to provide examples in Sun City.

 

For those who don't know or understand our history, they tend to think in terms of what is happening to and around us currently. As a society we have embraced the belief that much of our lives is transactional. What we are willing to give should be reflected in what we get. It seems to be the norm in too many instances and many people view it as the way of the world.

Long gone are the days of John Fitzgerald Kennedy asking what you can do for your country. I guess it should come as no surprise that question was asked by JFK shortly after Sun City opened. It was a time wholly different from today. It was a time when those moving here were willing and able to accept the responsibilities of ownership.

During those first 5 years (1960-1965), with a fraction of today's population, the three organizations always had a dozen or more candidates who wanted to get elected. Some elections had more than 20. Even more significant, the number of those voting always hovered around the 80% mark. The obvious question is this: Did people/members care more?

I don't know the answer; i do know that DEVCO, in conjunction with the rest of those living here, were focused on getting buy-in. Every event, every club and every election was seen as an opportunity to market Sun City as "a new active way of life." DEVCO was driven by the potential profits to be earned (and by 1980 it was in the neighborhood of 170 million dollars). Not bad for a "social experiment" the experts said would fail.

I also know this: The investment in time, expertise and the pure love and joy of their new found home (by the residents) was motivated on leaving all of us a concept that would endure and live on long after they were dead and buried. We know that from the history we have accumulated at the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum. It's all there.

We can look at the 80's and the infighting over direction after DEVCO left. We can look at the 90's as the RCSC struggled to find a path forward for aging amenities and no money to address them. We can look at the 2000's as the boards grappled with moving from a strictly self-governed body to hiring a general manager and giving her far more authority than any time in our first 45 years.

All of that is documented, and virtually no one knows or cares. It's just history. I purposely stopped at 2010 and the years that followed. It was a time i was intimately involved in and with. By 2012 when i was elected to the RCSC board we had evolved to the point where the board was more a functional support group for the GM. If you think not, you can search my article written on here (2015) entitled Free at Last, Free at Last, Thank God Almighty Free at Last.

Nope, not excusing my 3 year stint on the board. I was immersed in the outcome. I am as much at blame as everyone of us. And with each passing year it got worse. Good people were elected and their goal/role was to help the general manager fulfill her vision for Sun City. She saw us as a community who should move here and just have fun.

It could have worked and i have argued it probably made sense given what was happening as a society. The problem was, Sun City wasn't built around a community that came and just had fun. We had countless organizations that relied on volunteers who gave tirelessly to maintain the tenets built into us. My argument always was we failed to teach new owners/buyers the history. With each passing year we grew further away form our roots.

This past year couple of years have gotten better. We are still a long ways away from getting to where we need to be. I have no idea if we will ever get there, or whether anyone even cares. I know way too many residents only care about their own self-interests. It is the definition of a transactional relationship. Are we too far gone?

That's a question to be explored.

 

Actually history is a mother and continually says “ Don’t make me repeat myself.”

 

I see myself as a typical middle class kind of guy. We're not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. We live quiet comfortable lives in a quiet comfortable community. We don't travel at all, but we can stay as busy as we want with a plethora of activities included in our RCSC membership. We moved here knowing how good it was and it has never disappointed us.

I also am acutely aware the cost for everything is going up...including the RCSC lot assessment. During the first 5 years (1960-1965) one of the goals was for Sun City to be affordable. Ads featured the low cost of membership in the range of a nickle a day to live here. All of that changed, as John Meeker recognized every potential buyer enjoyed the value and the values built into the community. From millionaires to those just getting by on social security and a small pension, they found a place they loved.

65 years later, we are still the best value in the country. The whiners will try and tell you we're not, they are wrong. Pressed on time this morning, so let me leave you with this headline and the link to the story. The Villages of Florida is the largest age restricted community in the country. It's also at the top of lots of seniors lists as they get endless promotion for a variety or reasons. They are also still developer owned, which changes the dynamic; a lot.

Here's the header:
This City Was Named the Best Retirement Spot for Middle-class Americans

Here's the link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/per...ericans/ar-AA1sRrRa?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds

We'll talk when i get back and you will understand exactly why Sun City is perfectly positioned as we move forward.

 

#6 Bill, not #1. Wonder where SC would be if they knew of all the upcoming changes that have and are going to hurt singles living here, and probably deter anyone from purchasing with the high PIF/CIF. Or will the seller have to lower the price of the home $8,500.

1. The Villages, Florida
2. Green Valley City, Arizona
3. Sun City West, Arizona
4. Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
5. Venice, Florida
6. Sun City, Arizona

 

The title of the article Bill references is,
“This City Was Named the Best Retirement Spot for Middle-class Americans
Story by Stacey Leasca”

Notice, Bill doesn’t say Sun City is #1.

He acknowledges the Villages #1 ranking when directing readers to check out the article link.
“ The Villages of Florida is the largest age restricted community in the country. It's also at the top of lots of seniors lists…”

To see the full top 30 middle class retirement community rankings where Sun City is #6:
https://www.gobankingrates.com/reti...etirement-towns-for-the-middle-class-in-2024/

Quite impressive considering Sun City is literally a senior 55+ constructed community, isn’t it?

 

Sorry, I just skip thru those posts as they tend to be redundant.

 

What about the member assessments and cost of golf at the Villages. Kind of changes the complexion of things, doesn’t it?

 

I agree that "Sun City is perfectly positioned as we move forward" which is why I am excited to serve on the SC Foundation Board. Recognizing that many of our residents have incomes below the poverty level, we should also acknowledge that many of our residents are experiencing the best times of their lives. Some have financial security and may be willing to contribute to making SC an even better place to live if we give them an opportunity. I have seen some houses in SC listed for just under $1M. We have all probably noticed some fancy cars driving around our communities. People with second homes and extra vehicles, such as classic cars, have additional resources. They have worked hard, saved, and may have even inherited some assets as well. They deserve to live their lives as they please. However, they may want to share some of it with the community they love.

For anyone interested, look up "The Greatest Transfer of Wealth in History" on Forbes website. There are other websites as well. I learned of this when I was on our community's Community Fund Foundation a few years ago. Here are some excerpts:

"What is considered the greatest transfer of wealth in history is happening today—one family at a time, from one generation to the next. The Great Wealth Transfer is the forecasted hand-off of trillions of dollars from the older Silent Generation and aging Baby Boomers to their young Generation-X, Millennial, and Generation-Z adult children and grandchildren over the next 20 years. Cerulli pegs the transfer to come mostly from Boomers totaling nearly $84 trillion, with about $72 trillion going to heirs and $12 trillion to charities. That’s a lot of money.'

Proactive charities and foundations are already accessing this money that is being given away. SC Foundation should learn about this so that RCSC Members can benefit from a portion of the $12 Trillion that is estimated will go to non profits.

Are you with me on this?

 

Janet, Thank you for doing this. John

 

Here is a good article about nonprofits benefiting from "The Greatest Transfer of Wealth":

https://philanthropydaily.com/what-the-greatest-wealth-transfer-in-history-means-for-planned-giving/

As you can see, there are various estimates of how many of trillions of dollars will be available and how much will be going to nonprofits.

 

Thanks to both Dave and eyesopen for catching the reason for posting the article i did. Sadly, some aren't smart enough to grasp the vagaries of an article where The Villages of Florida are awarded/rewarded with the title of "The Best Retirement Spot for Middle-Class Americans." Anyone who thinks the cost of living in the Villages is of "average" makes for a fascinating discussion on what the middle-class is.

Let's start with the obvious, given the latest barrage of complaints regarding Sun City and specifically the RCSC. I have no interest in debating the lot assessment versus the per person structure; suffice to say, i wish they had never changed it. Unfortunately they did and i see no way out without an implosion that would jar the community in ways that would benefit no one. I am willing to listen to any way out that doesn't ignite world war 3.

Back on topic; the Villages of Florida (aka The Best Retirement Spot for Middle-Class American's), charges a flat rate lot assessment (note, not per person). It fluctuates based on when you bought and where you live (the Villages are spread out over 3 counties), but the most often cited rate is $190 a month. The good news is, it includes free golf on their short courses. The bad news is tee times are tough to get; the worse news is their championship courses (18 holes) are expensive though you can buy for even more money, priority tee times.

For those mathematically challenged that comes out to just under $2300 a year. Plus, several of their local villages have additional fees charged. When comparing it to Sun City, there is no comparison. To the Villages credit, they have several musical venues where there is free entertainment. They also have a myriad of clubs.

The bigger problem as the developer has grown the number of rooftops, the number of residents has exploded well past 100,000 member population. I follow Letters To the Editor and the complaints are loud and largely about them not building more amenities. Plus, because the developer is still overseeing the Villages, the deed restrictions have been a mess and several localities are toying with assuming oversight. Not an easy or cheap transition as we know from the challenges that SCHOA faces.

Let's get real, i didn't post the article to make fun of the Villages, they are very successful. That said, i wouldn't want to live there...it's way more expensive than living in Sun City. Our cost of living is a fraction of what there's is. I would argue way more in the wheel-house for Middle-Class American's looking for an affordable retirement. Probably one of the reasons we were #6 on the list.

Janet's point is well made; the articles on "the greatest transfer of wealth" have been all over the net for the past year or so. The difficulties are societal in nature as the "have's" and the "have-nots" has exploded with that said accumulation of wealth. It's an old adage: "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" has never been more true. The upside is there are more people in the rich category, the downside is those on the lower end of the economic scale are often left in dire straights.

Nope, this isn't about politics. It is simply about the realities of life. Not everyone can afford to live in Scottsdale, or the Villages, or The Grand, or Sun City for that matter. I would and have argued this; the original Sun City is within reach for a greater number of aging American's than any other community in the country. And, much like our history has taught us, those moving here weren't driven by the size (or lack thereof ) of their bank account, they simply wanted a better way to live.

And so we are really freaking clear: Sun City still offers that.

While a handful whine about a restaurant closing or a thrift store going out of business, it simply is a reflection of changing times. It is that evolution that comes with new trends and habits. We've always known Sun City was over-populated with bricks and mortar buildings, it was inevitable there would be a down-sizing to fit what is happening as a society.

Which brings us full-circle to what it happening within the RCSC. Those increased costs were also inevitable. We can't have the number of aging amenities without investing in them. We played the lets stay cheap game for far too many years. We ran the community to try and keep us cheap and now we are paying for that misguided direction.

It was short-sighted and folly to pretend it wouldn't catch up with us. Now that it has, our future is predicated on how we evolve. It is imperative we remain competitive by rebuilding and rebranding the amazing way of life we offer. Our past has taught us the importance of dealing in reality. It has created the incentives to become a better version of what was.

All of the pieces of the puzzle are here, now we need work through them.

 

Bill, I humbly admit that I sometimes scan your posts because they can sound preachy. For whatever reason the gods of the internet left this post on my email, and I read it, several times. You articulated exactly what I was fighting for: member engagement in the community. My time on the board was short, tumultuous and well worth it. I had dinner with some of the many friends I have made at Little Bite of Italy and asked them a simple question about the recent budget town halls - Do they see this as an improvement? The answer was a resounding yes. I just about shed tears of joy.

I agree we have a long way to go but also take comfort in the Chinese proverb that a thousand-mile journey starts with a single step. I am sensing that a core group of members are starting to see our community as a place they want to have a positive impact on. I hope their point of view is contagious.

 

I’m giving my wealth to the university I attended for scholarships forC students in history. These are really the smart ones. I also have small bequests to my S.O. and two of my cousins.

 

Perfect! Everyone is entitled to donate to the charity or institution of your choice. Dave, it sounds like you have planned well and the recipients are fortunate that you have.

 

I agree with Janet Dave. I know you to be passionate about history and your gifts will help others pursue their studies!

 

I am also leaving my books (back up the truck) and Great courses DVDs to a Phoenix inner city high school as I know the librarian/media center teacher. Amazingly she advised me that government and philosophy courses and books were the most popular. Glad I saved and carted around all my books and supplemental readings from the uni.