Homeowners raise alarm about undisclosed PID assessments in Russell Ranch

Several Russell Ranch homeowners told the Bay City Council that they had not been informed at purchase that their properties would be subject to a public improvement district (PID) assessment, and described steep projected costs. Richard Howley, who identified himself from Russell Ranch, said he received a tax-assessor notice in March for "another $4,200," and said neighbors estimate the total assessment on impacted homes is "about $50,000, $49,270 at a rate of 6.67% for the next 30 years." He urged the council to help coordinate remedies among builders, realtors and the city.

Homeowners who spoke during the Russell Ranch development discussion later echoed those concerns. One homeowner, Jason Lemke, told councilors he paid $300,000 for his house and warned that lowering neighborhood standards or failing to resolve assessment issues “is gonna take us down” and affect resale. Council members acknowledged the strength of resident concerns and said staff and legal counsel would follow up; the council did not adopt any immediate changes to the development standards at the meeting and deferred action on the amendment to allow additional review.