Budget & Finance committee backs higher‑funding plan to seed master-plan projects

The Budget & Finance Committee of Sun City West recommended that the governing board pursue the higher‑funding option to start funding master‑plan projects, after reviewing reserve modeling and trade‑offs between upfront contributions and delayed capital work.

Cliff, who presented the financial modeling for the committee, said the association currently has roughly $3.6 million modeled for master‑plan areas and that injecting an additional $6 million to $15 million in staged funding would allow projects to proceed while preserving a target fully funded balance. "If we can tell someone, hey, give us a $100 and we can get you what you potentially want and oh, just pay us $20 a year," Cliff said, framing the modeling as a phased approach to generate community funding without a special assessment.

Committee members debated alternatives — including spreading irrigation projects over a longer period to reduce near‑term cash needs — but several members argued that deferring capital would raise future operating costs. "It's just insane to put them off," one committee member said of irrigation projects, citing demonstrated operational savings from completed irrigation work.

The committee conducted a roll‑call style check and expressed a clear preference for the higher‑funding option (Plan A) that staff modeled as holding the fully funded balance percentage near target levels while enabling an initial master‑plan spend. The committee asked staff to take the recommendation to the governing board with the financial modeling and community engagement results attached. The governing board will consider the recommendation in its upcoming workshops and votes.