Looking at Sun City Anthem 2015 Board Candidates...Bella Meese & Jim Mayfield

Sun City Anthem 2015 Board Candidates

a

Hodgepodge of the Past & Present

 

(Part 3 of 4)

 

 

This is the third installment of our board candidate critiques, and today, we will closely examine the two incumbents seeking reelection.

 

Let's start our summary by looking at...

 

Bella Meese

 

If one were asked....

 

 "Who is the biggest disappointment  as a board member?"

 

 Bella Meese would sadly, hold that honor !

 

What began 4 years ago with "optimism" has deteriorated so rapidly over the years, that few who knew her "then", would have difficulty recognizing her "now" !

 

This candidate and current board member is referred to in many circles as ..."I need a place to have lunch"  Bella as a result of her making that public statement when asked as to why she continued to vote again and again to subsidize Cafe V with association funds, you, the residents, contribute through dues paid.

 

Her history of fiscal responsibility can best be described as "SPEND SPEND SPEND".

 

This individual has NO BUSINESS experience, and that has become quite obvious over the years through her voting record at spending whatever has been proposed...

 

...rarely if ever, questioning the amounts involved.

 

She has maintained a deaf ear again and again from association members regarding a "checks and balance" procedure of association expenditures.

 

Her background has been a "community organizer" and has a past record of flipping between political allies and opponents more times than a pancake on a griddle.

 

She originally supported prior board member and current candidate, Bob Frank, and ran alongside him a number of years ago... when he lost reelection.

 

At the same time she lost her first bid for election to the board....

 

...she apparently realized that her board member ambitions would be better suited and "politically expedient" to no longer support Mr. Frank. 

 

After that election loss, she decided to cuddle up with members of the "Unity Party" camp...

 

...the same individuals who cruelly took action against Bob Frank, the person she previously had heavily supported for election.

 

...and with their assistance and support....she has prevailed for the past 4 years.

 

Over that timeframe, those who initially supported her would eventually realize that being elected also meant abandoning a number of her long term friends and associates.

 

George Meese, her husband, has been influential as the "Content Coordinator" of a monthly publication  entitled "The Villages of Sun City Anthem",  mailed to each resident of the Sun City Anthem community on or about the first of each month.

 

If one looks closely to the monthly glossy cover page, those residents featured have almost entirely been past ADVOCATES of the UNITY PARTY.

 

This is a FOR PROFIT publication, and questions have arisen as to whether or not it creates a conflict of interest for Mrs. Meese as it pertains to her fiduciary responsibilities as a board member.

 

Fiduciary responsibilities include "avoiding self dealing" whereby "a self-dealing transaction is one in which a director enters into on behalf of the corporation that directly or indirectly benefits the director personally."

 

This can take the form of the director being a shareholder of another company that the corporation is dealing with, the director having a competing business, or the director’s close family member standing to benefit from a contract that corporation intends to enter into.

 

Rumors (unsubstantiated) have arisen that the advertising revenue generated by "The Villages of Sun City Anthem" monthly magazine, have had a negative impact on revenue obtained by our community publication, "The Spirit" each home receives monthly.

 

We believe in order to dispel those rumors and remove the "cloud" that currently exists...

 

... it would benefit the community if our association president, in one of her "president reports" would immediately publish "The Spirit" revenue prior to and  since publication of "The Villages of Sun City Anthem" commenced. 

 

We also would ask those figures be INDEPENDENTLY examined as well, prior to disclosure. 

 

A number of people have never forgotten her words:

 

"Anything to get elected"

 

In our opinion, there is no good way to say it...

 

...she has plagued Sun City Anthem financially for years. 

 

We won't rehash her 100% voting record of using association funds to subsidize the restaurant at each available opportunity.

 

In summary...a vote for  Bella Meese is simply...a bad decision...

 

...and we give her a "D" as a board member who does not deserve reelection.

 

Why?  Simply stated...

 

"Actions Speak Louder Than Words"

 

 

Two terms are enough for any individual...especially one with her poor voting record.

 

 

Our next candidate for consideration is incumbent....

 

Jim Mayfield

 

Here's a guy who loves to "talk the talk", but never seems to fully "walk the walk".

 

His voting record closely parallels that of Mrs. Meese; but on the positive side, he has been a sharp critic of the financial abilities and failures of FSR, our management company.

 

Jim Mayfield has the ability to do the job...but he's also a "politician's" politician.

 

His attempts at making positive change have often been rebuked by fellow board members...

 

...and his frustration with their inability to change...their need to maintain the status quo...is beginning to be evident. 

 

That became apparent when he and one other board member last voted to CEASE subsidizing the restaurant with association funds...a battle he lost.

 

When the management contract was last reviewed and another firm other than our current FSR was chosen by a committee in charge of searching out competitive bids, he and two other board members traveled to Arizona to what was believed  to be a "finalization" of the deal....

 

...but....suddenly, that firm, shortly after the meeting, decided to withdraw their bid to manage our association.

 

It has always been difficult to understand why a firm going through such an extensive and expensive road to obtain a contract...

 

...be recommended by an independent team charged with, and completing such an exhaustive search...

 

...then withdraw their offer to manage our association shortly after that meeting.

 

Perhaps Mr. Mayfield might fully explain just WHAT HAPPENED at that meeting to cause that firm to withdraw from a substantial contract that would compensate them millions of dollars each year ????

 

He's tried a number of times to convince other board members of his beliefs, but the "cronyism" of certain other board members (current and those retiring) have prevented him from achieving much success.

 

...and we believe any success he MAY achieve if elected to a second term, will revolve around others being elected who share his "reform" beliefs.

 

One very strong positive is that Mayfield has the reputation of answering all emails that residents send him...and for that..we commend him.

 

We may not like all of his decisions...but we do appreciate a recent change he's made....

 

....explaining why he made them...another positive.

 

We believe Jim Mayfield gets a "C" for his past board service, but with a short field of 6 candidates, we believe he deserves another term on the SCA board.

In our final installment to be published tomorrow, April 1st, we will discuss the final two candidates, Carl Weinstein and Rex Weddle.