SUN CITY – In order to help Sun City residents evaluate the qualifications and views of the seven candidates for the board of directors in this fall’s election, the Sun Day is publishing their answers to two questions: why are you running for a directorship, and what do you believe are the most critical issues facing our community?
The election campaign has begun. A candidate forum will be held Sept. 9 in Drendel Ballroom with all candidates present. Balloting will be open from Oct. 1-10. Results will be announced Oct. 15.
The candidates’ responses are reported here in alphabetical order.
Bonnie Bayser
(current board president seeking re-election as a director)
“I want to finalize implementation of the key findings of the productivity/staffing analysis and evaluate their effectiveness. I am proud of the progress made in restructuring board policies and procedures to better serve and communicate with residents. I was a strong proponent of the productivity/staffing analysis to achieve cost containment, and I also strongly supported the establishment of town hall meetings with residents in the past year.
“I also have supported improvements in the budgeting process to involve board members earlier in the process and work more closely with the Finance Committee. I promoted neighborhood group meetings with board and Finance Committee representatives, responded to resident requests by posting documents on the community website, and monitored “talk-to-staff” forums to ensure that residents’ issues were addressed and resolved.”
Linda Davis
(current board vice president seeking re-election as a director)
“I will continue to work with the board to assess the productivity level of our staff and board-appointed committees to ensure the needs of residents are met. I will continue to work on the board as a team member who listens to the concerns of the residents with an open mind, address issues with commonsense, and work for the good of the community as a whole.
“I want to keep our community in the public eye as the place to live now that Pulte has sold their last house and will no longer be advertising. I want to continue the lifestyle we have become accustomed to without having to raise our assessments to an unaffordable level. I also want to continue to work for more open communication between the board and residents. We have done some good things like town hall meetings, and we should continue them, and I also want to try some additional activities, such as possibly a board column in the Lifestyles Magazine.”
Dennis O’Leary
(six-year resident, member of Finance and Facility Management committees)
“Sun City has been run as a marketing/sales organization. The sales objectives of Del Webb and Pulte no longer fit with the objectives of an active adult community. The purpose now is to maintain the Sun City lifestyle, ensure the long-term preservation of assets, and provide appropriate maintenance at a reasonable cost. Marketing may still be necessary, but the question is how and how much?
“We need a long-range plan and vision, created and envisioned by the board and designed and implemented by the advisory committees and staff. This plan must consider what the future holds for communities like ours, should identify the critical needs of the community, and should articulate opportunities to enhance the community environment by updating and perhaps adding complimentary community assets.
Sometimes we need to think beyond the day-to-day to prepare ourselves for the future. We need to ensure that the processes that we use to run the business are appropriate for supporting future plans. We need to develop a vision.”
Eugene Rhodes
(12-year resident, retired businessman)
“I want to improve our ability to answer residents’ questions on current issues. We need a stronger focus on transparency. That means openness, communication, and accountability. It means operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed.
“We need to adopt a new budget, work more aggressively with independent area media, and adopt a new contract with a management company. We need to strongly maintain a focus on keeping our facilities in excellent condition and keep costs down.”
Kathleen Ryan
(five-year resident, retired business owner)
“Cost containment is my big issue. We need to look seriously at cutting costs in such non-service areas as personnel, insurance, and employee bonuses. We need to explore cutting some fat from the budget while maintaining efficiency in delivery of services. Our residents need to continue to keep their homes and maintain their ability to pay their assessments.”
Mack Titus
(nine-year resident, over 25 years in line management, former franchise business owner)
“I want to bring line management experience to the board, which I believe will provide professional insights to the operating, reserve, and capital budgets, and develop performance measurements that will enhance staff performances.
“The most critical issues facing Sun City are compliance with CICA [Common Interest Community Act – a state oversight law requiring associations like Sun City to develop and enforce standards, rules, and regulations], addressing bookkeeping curiosities, lack of a budgeting ethic, and addressing inconsistent financial reports. I would like to survey resident needs, develop resident-friendly financial reports, broaden resident understanding of board duties, and explore use of the Neighborhood Advisory Council to advocate resident needs.”
Bill Ziletti
(eight-year resident, board president in 2011, 32-year career in middle-top management in insurance industry)
“Critical issues facing our community are continued board management oversight of finances, improved communications to resident members, and more focus on stronger liaison between the board and advisory committees.
“Having had the opportunity and privilege of serving on a number of committees, I would like to continue to contribute to the overall management and strategic direction of our community for the next two years.”
