Updated September 29, 2026 · Proposed · ratification pending
2026 → 2027: what does the 4% increase pay for?
The main comparison uses the 2026 and proposed 2027 columns in the new PDF. See what changes next year, then explore the separate 2025–2027 budget trend with annual and overall differences.
Proposed start: November 1, 2026
The board-approved proposal is awaiting homeowner ratification. This is a resident-prepared analysis of budget allowances, not an audit of actual spending.
Read the official 12-page packet (PDF)2026 → 2027: reserves rise; listed expenses fall.
2026 → 2027 assessment increase
$22,737.26
$568,431.60 → $591,168.86
2027 proposed reserve contribution
$88,675.33
15% of proposed assessment income
2026 → 2027 expense reduction
$9,246.19
$454,239.72 → $444,993.53
The new packet compares a “2026” column with a proposed “2027” column. In that comparison, insurance stays at $121,625.00, management fees at $31,800.00, and loan interest at $26,500.00. Those are substantial ongoing costs, but they do not increase in this proposal.
The five expense increases total $7,018.53. Seven reductions total $16,264.72, more than offsetting them. Higher reserve contributions are the main source of the additional funding need.
Why there are two ways to reconcile the increase
The prior-year column subtracts $65,000 for deferred reserves but records $58,000 as reserve income. The packet does not explain the $7,000 difference. The table below shows both interpretations, assuming the $57,500 loan-related allocation remains a use of assessments in both years.
| Reserve baseline | More for reserves | Expense savings | Implied prior funding gap | Net increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $65,000.00GL 41100, packet p. 4 | +$23,675.33 | −$9,246.19 | +$8,308.12 | $22,737.26 |
| $58,000.00GL 70000, packet p. 4 | +$30,675.33 | −$9,246.19 | +$1,308.12 | $22,737.26 |
Using the $65,000 allocation: $23,675.33 more reserves − $9,246.19 expense savings + $8,308.12 implied prior funding gap = $22,737.26 additional assessments. Using $58,000 shifts $7,000 from the implied gap into the reserve increase; the result is identical.
The “funding gap” is arithmetic reconstructed from the budget columns. It is not proof of a cash loss, unpaid bill, or missing money, and the packet does not say the board intended to recover that amount. A definitive explanation requires ACCU to reconcile the reserve and loan entries.
Source: Official packet, PDF page 4 and page 5. All differences are calculated from the printed amounts.
Where the proposed $591,168.86 goes
Listed expenses use $444,993.53 and reserves use $88,675.33. That leaves exactly $57,500.00, matching the loan-related figure elsewhere on page 4. Its classification still needs confirmation. This reconstruction accounts for the total without treating the remainder as spendable surplus.
Amounts sum to 100% of proposed assessments; rounded percentages may differ slightly. The amber row is inferred. Loan interest is already included in listed expenses. No payment history or vendor-level spending is established by this chart.
Insurance is the largest individual allowance at about 20.6% of assessment income. Building maintenance includes $31,000 for rubbish removal and $25,000 for general building maintenance. Water and sewer account for $68,000 of utilities. Administration includes $31,800 in management fees, $7,500 in general legal costs, and $5,506.60 in mailing charges.
The 15% reserve allocation measures annual contributions, not how fully funded reserves are against future repairs. The packet adds $1,260 for a reserve study but does not supply an updated study, current funded percentage, or project-by-project reserve spending plan.
Source: Official packet, PDF page 4–5. The reserve and remainder rows are not additional operating-expense lines.
Every listed expense, compared with the packet’s prior year
| Category | 2026 in packet | Proposed 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building maintenance | $91,750.00 | $92,151.93 | +$401.93 |
| Utilities | $73,600.00 | $73,400.00 | −$200.00 |
| Exterior maintenance | $88,514.72 | $77,450.00 | −$11,064.72 |
| Administration | $52,250.00 | $53,516.60 | +$1,266.60 |
| Taxes, insurance & interest | $148,125.00 | $148,475.00 | +$350.00 |
| Total listed expenses | $454,239.72 | $444,993.53 | −$9,246.19 |
What increases and what offsets it
Increases: $7,018.53
- Landscape extras+$5,000.00
- Reserve study+$1,260.00
- Plumbing & sewer+$401.93
- Income taxes+$350.00
- Mailing service charges+$6.60
Reductions: $16,264.72
- Other grounds repairs & maintenance−$10,264.72
- Landscape contract−$2,000.00
- Snow removal−$2,000.00
- Irrigation repairs−$1,000.00
- Trees / shrubs / sod−$500.00
- Backflow inspection & repairs−$300.00
- Electric & gas−$200.00
Landscape extras are the largest expense increase at $5,000. The largest offset is removal of the $10,264.72 other-grounds allowance, followed by $2,000 less each for the landscape contract and snow removal. These are planned allowances; the packet does not identify the associated scopes, quotes, or actual savings.
All 31 expense lines, including unchanged amounts
| Expense / GL | 2026 in packet | Proposed 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building maintenanceGL 50000 · p. 4 | $25,000.00 | $25,000.00 | Unchanged |
| ElectricalGL 50800 · p. 4 | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 | Unchanged |
| LightingGL 50801 · p. 4 | $750.00 | $750.00 | Unchanged |
| Plumbing & sewerGL 50900 · p. 4 | $10,000.00 | $10,401.93 | +$401.93 |
| Roof & gutter repairsGL 51400 · p. 4 | $6,000.00 | $6,000.00 | Unchanged |
| Fire panel maintenanceGL 51501 · p. 4 | $4,000.00 | $4,000.00 | Unchanged |
| Rubbish removalGL 51600 · p. 4 | $31,000.00 | $31,000.00 | Unchanged |
| PaintingGL 51800 · p. 4 | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 | Unchanged |
| Other repairs & maintenanceGL 52300 · p. 4 | $12,000.00 | $12,000.00 | Unchanged |
| Electric & gasGL 54100 · p. 4 | $5,600.00 | $5,400.00 | −$200.00 |
| Water & sewerGL 54300 · p. 4 | $68,000.00 | $68,000.00 | Unchanged |
| Landscape contractGL 57200 · p. 4 | $28,000.00 | $26,000.00 | −$2,000.00 |
| Landscape extrasGL 57201 · p. 4 | $6,000.00 | $11,000.00 | +$5,000.00 |
| Snow removalGL 57300 · p. 4 | $20,000.00 | $18,000.00 | −$2,000.00 |
| Backflow inspection & repairsGL 57500 · p. 4 | $7,500.00 | $7,200.00 | −$300.00 |
| Irrigation repairsGL 57510 · p. 4 | $9,000.00 | $8,000.00 | −$1,000.00 |
| Trees / shrubs / sodGL 57700 · p. 4 | $5,500.00 | $5,000.00 | −$500.00 |
| Pest controlGL 58010 · p. 4 | $750.00 | $750.00 | Unchanged |
| Fence repairsGL 58100 · p. 4 | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 | Unchanged |
| Other grounds repairs & maintenanceGL 58900 · p. 4 | $10,264.72 | $0.00 | −$10,264.72 |
| Mailing service chargesGL 60120 · p. 5 | $5,500.00 | $5,506.60 | +$6.60 |
| Answering service & phoneGL 60130 · p. 5 | $500.00 | $500.00 | Unchanged |
| Web service feeGL 60160 · p. 5 | $750.00 | $750.00 | Unchanged |
| Management feesGL 60200 · p. 5 | $31,800.00 | $31,800.00 | Unchanged |
| Miscellaneous administrationGL 61400 · p. 5 | $3,700.00 | $3,700.00 | Unchanged |
| General legal expensesGL 61600 · p. 5 | $7,500.00 | $7,500.00 | Unchanged |
| Accounting servicesGL 61900 · p. 5 | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 | Unchanged |
| Reserve studyGL 62100 · p. 5 | $0.00 | $1,260.00 | +$1,260.00 |
| Loan interest — CITGL 63253 · p. 5 | $26,500.00 | $26,500.00 | Unchanged |
| InsuranceGL 63400 · p. 5 | $121,625.00 | $121,625.00 | Unchanged |
| Income taxesGL 63500 · p. 5 | $0.00 | $350.00 | +$350.00 |
Source: Official packet, PDF page 4–5. A dash in a budget amount is treated as zero for this comparison. The packet’s 17.31% combined-income change includes loan and reserve presentation effects; it is not the dues increase.
2025–2027 budget trends
Compare the original 2025 budget with the new PDF’s 2026 and proposed 2027 columns. Every change below is a difference in annual budget amounts, not actual spending or a change in an individual homeowner’s bill. The 2026 → 2027 column is the comparison behind this proposal.
2025$546,000.00
2026$568,431.60
2027 proposed$591,168.86
Overall 2025 → 2027: +$45,168.86 (8.27%)
Each chart uses its own scale starting at zero.
2025$44,200.38
2026$65,000.00
2027 proposed$88,675.33
Overall 2025 → 2027: +$44,474.95 (100.62%)
Each chart uses its own scale starting at zero.
| Budget area | 2025 | 2026 · PDF | 2027 · proposed | 2025 → 2026 | 2026 → 2027 | Overall · 2025 → 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment income | $546,000.00 | $568,431.60 | $591,168.86 | +$22,431.60+4.11% | +$22,737.26+4.00% | +$45,168.86+8.27% |
| Expenses excluding loan costs and reserves | $417,799.62 | $427,739.72 | $418,493.53 | +$9,940.10+2.38% | −$9,246.19-2.16% | +$693.91+0.17% |
| Building maintenance | $41,250.00 | $91,750.00 | $92,151.93 | +$50,500.00+122.42% | +$401.93+0.44% | +$50,901.93+123.40% |
| Utilities | $75,000.00 | $73,600.00 | $73,400.00 | −$1,400.00-1.87% | −$200.00-0.27% | −$1,600.00-2.13% |
| Exterior maintenance | $69,672.62 | $88,514.72 | $77,450.00 | +$18,842.10+27.04% | −$11,064.72-12.50% | +$7,777.38+11.16% |
| Administration | $38,242.00 | $52,250.00 | $53,516.60 | +$14,008.00+36.63% | +$1,266.60+2.42% | +$15,274.60+39.94% |
| Insurance | $193,635.00 | $121,625.00 | $121,625.00 | −$72,010.00-37.19% | Unchanged0.00% | −$72,010.00-37.19% |
| Income taxes | $0.00 | $0.00 | $350.00 | UnchangedNo change | +$350.00New allocation · no % base | +$350.00New allocation · no % base |
| Reserve allocation · GL 41100 | $44,200.38 | $65,000.00 | $88,675.33 | +$20,799.62+47.06% | +$23,675.33+36.42% | +$44,474.95+100.62% |
| Loan-related budget · provisional comparison | $84,000.00 | $84,000.00 | $84,000.00 | Unchanged0.00% | Unchanged0.00% | Unchanged0.00% |
| Management fees · included in administration | $26,862.00 | $31,800.00 | $31,800.00 | +$4,938.00+18.38% | Unchanged0.00% | +$4,938.00+18.38% |
How to read this trend
We reviewed all six approved annual budget files and twelve 2025 monthly reports. They contain different budget versions and fiscal periods. Read the full source history and actual-spending analysis before treating this three-year selection as a reconciled accounting series.
- 2025 is the column explicitly labeled “2025 Budget” in the approved FY 2024–25 PDF. It is not the separate FY 2025–26 budget, and no partial-year actuals are mixed into this comparison.
- 2025 excludes its $84,000 loan-payment line; 2026 and 2027 exclude $26,500 of listed loan interest. This subtotal includes the four expense groups below, insurance, and taxes.
- Uses the transfer allocation consistently. The packet also lists 2026 reserve income of $58,000; that unresolved alternative is shown in the 2026 → 2027 reconciliation above.
- 2025 prints an $84,000 loan payment. Each later column combines $26,500 interest with an assumed $57,500 loan allocation. Classification remains unconfirmed; this is not verified principal or actual debt service.
- A detail row, not an additional expense to add to administration.
- Account groupings and budget versions change across documents. These are reported budget trends, not a reconciled general ledger. Do not add subtotal or detail rows together.
Why another document has different 2026 figures
Source reconciliation: separate approved FY 2025–26 budget
The older approved 2025–26 budget shows $546,054.08 in assessments. The new packet starts its “2026” comparison at $568,431.60—already $22,377.52 higher. A reconciled amendment or explanation has not been supplied with this packet.
| Category | Older approved 2025–26 | 2026 in new packet | Proposed 2027 | Change from older budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment income | $546,054.08 | $568,431.60 | $591,168.86 | +$45,114.78 |
| Building maintenance | $48,050.00 | $91,750.00 | $92,151.93 | +$44,101.93 |
| Utilities | $78,750.00 | $73,600.00 | $73,400.00 | −$5,350.00 |
| Exterior maintenance | $60,750.00 | $88,514.72 | $77,450.00 | +$16,700.00 |
| Administration | $46,504.08 | $52,250.00 | $53,516.60 | +$7,012.52 |
| Insurance | $170,000.00 | $121,625.00 | $121,625.00 | −$48,375.00 |
| Reserve income / contribution | $58,000.00 | $58,000.00 | $88,675.33 | +$30,675.33 |
Compared with that older document, proposed building maintenance rises $44,101.93 and exterior maintenance $16,700, while insurance falls $48,375. Within building maintenance, general maintenance goes from $7,000 to $25,000; rubbish removal from $24,000 to $31,000; other repairs from $5,000 to $12,000; and plumbing from $3,300 to $10,401.93. The new budget also separately lists $4,000 for fire-panel maintenance.
Management fees rise from $29,580 in the older document to $31,800 in both columns of the new packet. That is $2,220 more than the old source, but zero of the packet’s new year-over-year increase. Mailing, legal, and loan accounts also change presentation, so a straight line-by-line match would imply more certainty than these documents support.
On a reconstructed uses-of-funds basis, proposed listed expenses plus the assumed $57,500 loan allocation equal $502,493.53, versus $488,054.08 in the older budget (which already includes $84,000 labeled loan principal). That is $14,439.45 more, plus $30,675.33 additional reserves, totaling $45,114.78 above the older assessment figure. This approximately 8.26% document-to-document difference is not evidence of an 8.26% increase in an individual owner’s bill; the official payment schedule describes the current change as 4%.
Sources: Approved 2025–26 budget, p. 1 (PDF) and new packet, pp. 4–5. Reserve comparison uses the $58,000 reserve-income figure; the packet separately shows $65,000 as a transfer.
What would your monthly payment be?
| Current monthly | Proposed monthly | More per month | More over 12 months | More Nov–Aug (10 months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $237.29 | $246.81 | $9.52 | $114.24 | $95.20 |
| $265.71 | $276.37 | $10.66 | $127.92 | $106.60 |
| $342.44 | $356.18 | $13.74 | $164.88 | $137.40 |
| $391.70 | $407.41 | $15.71 | $188.52 | $157.10 |
| $413.01 | $429.58 | $16.57 | $198.84 | $165.70 |
The 12-month column is annualized, not the additional bill for calendar 2026. The source shows September and October unchanged, followed by ten months at the new rate. Its printed payments increase about 4.01%, slightly above multiplying current dues by exactly 1.04. We use the published amounts and flag the calculation for ACCU to confirm.
Page 6 lists repeated unit labels without a complete building/address mapping. Match the current payment only as a reference; confirm the amount for your account with ACCU if it differs or is unclear.
Source: Official packet, PDF page 6
October 15 meeting and official forms
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Check-in 6:00 p.m. · budget meeting 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time. The annual meeting follows budget ratification.
Thornton Community Center, Eppinger Classroom, 2211 Eppinger Blvd, Thornton, CO 80229.
In-person only; no Zoom or virtual attendance. ACCU’s October 15 reminder confirms the physical venue and supersedes the earlier covering email’s virtual-attendance wording. Page 2 says forms are due at noon October 15 and also allows meeting delivery. The proxy form says no later than noon; the candidate form says before October 15. Confirm any unresolved form-submission cutoffs directly with ACCU.
- The notice says the budget is ratified unless 78 owners vote to reject it. The annual-meeting quorum is separately stated as 77 units represented in person or by proxy. These are the packet’s stated procedures.
- There are two board openings for two-year terms. The agenda includes nominations from the floor.
- The proxy offers quorum-only, a designated individual, or the board president as proxy holder. Quorum-only does not authorize someone to vote for the owner.
- Completed forms go to ACCU, not this resident website. Contact Jessica Lingenfelter at support@accuinc.com or 303-733-1121.
Source: Official packet, PDF page 1–3, 7, 10–11. The included December 2025 and January 2026 minutes are historical records, not results of this upcoming meeting.
What the documents still cannot tell us
Which prior-year budget are we comparing?
Please provide the approved or amended budget behind the packet’s 2026 column and reconcile its $568,431.60 assessment income with the older approved $546,054.08. Confirm the fiscal period and whether annual totals reflect two months at old dues and ten at new dues.
Was the prior reserve allocation $65,000 or $58,000?
Both appear on page 4. Please reconcile the $7,000 difference and provide the actual reserve transfers, current balance, and latest reserve study. A 15% contribution rate does not establish the fund’s adequacy.
How is the loan paid?
Please reconcile the $57,500 loan/operating entries, $26,500 interest allowance, and remaining loan balance to the amortization schedule. The older budget labels $84,000 as principal; the new figures cannot establish the actual principal/interest split.
What work is covered by the revised allowances?
Landscape extras rise $5,000 while other grounds repairs fall $10,264.72 to zero. Please identify planned work, contracts, and whether any scope moved between accounts. Reduced allowances alone do not prove service reductions or eliminated repair needs.
Do actual results support these estimates?
Please provide the latest year-end and year-to-date budget-versus-actuals, general ledger, vendor invoices, contracts, insurance renewal, and reserve activity. This packet shows planned allocations, not where cash has actually been spent.
Review status as of September 29, 2026: the packet’s expense rows and arithmetic have been checked against the source PDFs. No management clarification, ratification result, current bank reconciliation, or complete actual-spending ledger is represented here. Future corrections should retain the original figures and identify the source and date of the change.