KISSIMMEE, Fla. — New legislation is currently being discussed in Tallahassee that would allow community development districts (CDD) to have the ability to recall their seated directors.

What You Need To Know

CDD boards oversee infrastructure and amenities within a community


Concorde Estates CDD meeting with Joint Legislative Auditing Committee is planned for later this month


FDLE is investigating Concorde Estates CDD

While Florida comprises tens of thousands of HOAs, there are over 1,000 CDDs in the state as well.

CDDs are a government unit created to serve the long-term needs of communities for planning, finance, infrastructure and amenities.

One CDD group in Kissimmee stated their board is bleeding them dry, and they are often left in the dark.

Whether you have said it, or have a friend who has said it, “I would never live in an HOA because of the rules.”

How would you feel if your CDD kept raising costs which show up on your tax bill each year and you weren’t seeing improvements in the community?

An HOA you pay to your management company or community. Your CDD fees are collected by the tax collector, and for Concorde Estates residents, they say their community is borderline unaffordable tax-wise.

Inside a Kissimmee community are both the Concorde Estates Community Development District and Park View at Lakeshore HOA.

Aidee Velez moved to this community in Kissimmee in 2020.

“I moved here from Philadelphia, and I was told the HOA (fees) here was $140 for the year,” Velez recalls. “I said, ‘That’s incredible, this place looks amazing, that’s completely doable.‘”

In Velez’s community, the HOA has oversight on property inspections and can send violations if personal properties or individual home lots are not in compliance.

Velez had to learn however what a CDD is after seeing her first tax bill from the county tax collector.

“The CC was never explained to me,” Velez says when recalling closing on her home. “I had to have it explained to me what it was.”

A CDD is a government entity that has oversight on maintaining and financing community infrastructure. In Velez’s community, that means maintaining the roads, playgrounds, pool, volleyball court, and landscaping.

In 2020, Velez’s non-ad valorem assessment for the community was just more than $2,400. A payment that is collected by the county tax collector. The next year it went up $400, and then about another $700, and then in 2023 nearly another $1,000.

Velez began to be suspicious as to why she saw big increases.

“I took the budget and I took all my tax forms to an attorney, and I had him look over all of the information,” Velez explained. “He said he felt there was mismanagement of funds.”

She said she began going to CDD meetings, but said when residents asked questions, the meetings would stop.

Jason Showe is a senior district manager with Governmental Management. He oversees 15 CDDs in Central Florida. He does not manage, nor does his company manage Concorde Estates.

But he did explain the importance of transparency and records requests when members of his district request them.

“As a CDD, we are held to the Florida’s public records law,” Showe points out. “It means that almost every document that is part of the CDD is available for any resident at any time to inspect or ask about. It also means our meetings are all open to members of the public.”

Velez says she has submitted at least 30 records requests to the CDD attorney and management company, but has had no luck.

“Most of the times they ignore me, I’ve gotten cease and desist from the management company,” Velez says, frustrated. “At one point, I did get one email asking for $350 per hour per records request.”

Spectrum News 13 reached out to the then-property management company Avid Property Management for comment, but did not hear back.

While Velez’s taxes for the CDD increased, she says the upkeep of her community didn’t reflect the extra costs.

“If I was a resident in a CDD I think you can generally expect an increase of 3 or 4% pretty regularly,” Showe explains.

These increases Showe credits to costs to provide services for utilities, landscaping, and following the community’s reserve study.

Velez and her neighbors tried to organize a recall. The problem is, unlike an HOA, residents can’t recall a sitting CDD director.

State Sen. Kristen Arrington says she filed Senate Bill 1180 after learning about the inability for residents to remove CDD board members for misconduct in a timely way.

The bill would allow residents to remove CDD board members for misconduct or failure to perform their duties.

“In practice, removal typically occurs only after law enforcement becomes involved and a lengthy investigative or legal process is already underway. During that time, individuals accused of wrongdoing may remain in office, continue making financial decisions, and retain control over community funds,” Arrington said in a statement to Spectrum News 13.

As for Velez and her neighbors, the best thing they can do now is wait. 

“Only hope is to get them out before they put in next year’s tax roll,” Velez says when asked what she’s hoping this new legislation could help with. “Once they put in next year’s tax roll, we don’t know what that number will be.” 

Aside from reaching out to the former management company, Spectrum News 13 also tried the Concorde Estates CDD’s president, vice president, and another director, but through their attorney said they are not authorizing any interviews or public statements.

Their attorney, Gina R. Perez-Calhoun, Esq., did say in an email: “Given the existence of potential legal issues and pending proceedings, including administrative matters and cases currently before the ninth judicial circuit, the board has determined that public comment at this stage could be detrimental to the interests of the district and the community as a whole.

Residents of the Concorde Estates CDD contacted the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the state attorney.

The sheriff’s office’s financial crimes unit investigated the CDD and then turned over its findings to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

In addition, the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee will be conducting a review of the CDD’s finances later this month.

If SB 1180 passes, residents plan to organize a recall immediately.