June 2026 Sunriver Scene - Flipbook - Page 37
Letters to the Editor
CTF will allow SROA to create capital
assets, as needed
be challenged in court. Five thousand dollars on a one
million dollar home would be worth fighting over.
By Keith Mobley
You are probably aware that the Sunriver Owners
Association board of directors is asking for your vote
on the creation of a Capital Transfer Fee (CTF). As
a current board member finishing my third term,
and former association president, my support of the
measure is based on many hours of exploration and
discussion.
Creation of SHARC involved much of the same
study, research and preparation as has been dedicated
to the Capital Transfer Fee. SHARC has proven to be
a great success and a major asset of SROA.
Unlike SHARC, the CTF will not authorize a single
center or asset. Instead, it will provide the means for
Sunriver owners to make capital investments as needed
and when needed to respond to opportunities to enhance the condition and extent of Sunriver attractions.
If you are a Sunriver owner, included with the value of your property is the shared value of all SROA
assets. This will include the funds generated by the
CTF, and when expended on a capital asset, the value
of that asset. Value will include both the worth of the
improvement, and its effect on prospective Sunriver
purchasers and guests.
I proudly support the Capital Transfer Fee
Legality of tax/fee on Oregon home sale
By Neil Unger
Concerning the proposed capital transfer fee... how
is this even legal in Oregon? Under ORS 306.815,
Oregon cities, counties and local governments are
prohibited from imposing taxes or fees on the transfer
of real estate. There seem to be very few exceptions.
I'm sure the SR attorneys have reviewed it, so I don't
understand. Just asking. Dollars to donuts it would
By David Ritchie
As a Sunriver property owner for 25-plus years, I
know what makes this community exceptional – and
what it takes to keep it that way.
Like many neighbors, I may one day sell my home.
If that time comes, I'll have no hesitation paying this
small fee. It's a one-time cost that pales in comparison
to the returns we've all enjoyed from Sunriver's worldclass amenities – amenities that will only grow better
with continued investment. Until then, I'll enjoy every
benefit those improvements bring.
Please join me and vote YES on the Capital
Transfer Fee.
Transfer fee will help preserve and
protect the Sunriver lifestyle
By Marc and Karol Cameron
(and our grandchildren)
Karol and I have lived in Sunriver since 2011 and
started our business, Sunriver Brewing Company, in
2012. We’ve seen so many things done by the SROA
that preserve and protect the lifestyle we enjoy and the
values of our homes. Our reserve fund, while strong
and managed well, simply can't keep pace with today’s
rising costs of construction, materials and labor without increasing our revenue.
We have lived in other communities that have
implemented a Capital Transfer Fee or equivalent.
Well-maintained communities command higher property values. When revenue runs dry, associations are
sometimes forced to levy special assessments – some-
times thousands of dollars per household. A Capital
Transfer Fee spreads that funding responsibility across
all who benefit, including those who purchase homes at
prices that already reflect the community's curb appeal.
A modest Capital Transfer Fee, a fraction of one
percent of a home's sale price, requires new buyers to
contribute to the reserves the rest of us have funded
for years. It's not a penalty; it's an entry into a shared
investment. Smart buyers welcome it as proof that the
community takes its finances seriously. Amenities don't
reset when a house changes hands. Costs accumulate
regardless.
I urge fellow owners and fellow businesses to support this practical, fair tool. It’s good for our lives in
Sunriver and good for businesses that enjoy serving
our community.
Can you remember 2011?
By Catalina Nocon
I remember in 2011 how Sunriver struggled with
aging amenities, empty store fronts in the village,
restaurants unable to keep their doors open from the
lack of customers.
In 2012, I made the first of a five-year payment
schedule to the SROA special assessment that this
community voted for because the community realized
the need to bring Sunriver to a level which would
draw families and visitors to buy homes and to spend
their vacations. This special assessment significantly
impacted my personal home budget each year. The
result was worth it – SHARC, the owners pool, better
maintained bike paths, and many other amenities.
As improvements began, I noted new investors in
the village that brought new and quality stores and
restaurants and the redesign of the village. Sunriver
Turn to Letters, page 38
Chorus of One: Transfer fee is not the answer
By Joe Zeimentz
The Capital Transfer Fee has been presented as the
way to generate needed funding for capital improvements needed in the future.
Since current Sunriver owners have already paid
additional fees to finance the SHARC and other capital
improvements in the past, this transfer fee will be the
way for new home buyers to “invest in the community”
like we’ve done as homeowners.
The flaw with this logic is adding a $5,000+ fee to
real estate transactions negatively impacts the home
seller while creating an obstacle for both the seller
and the buyer.
As a homeowner since 2012, I’ve been investing in
our community through member fees for many years.
If I choose to sell my home with this fee in place, I’ll
have to negotiate an additional transaction expense
of $5,000+ into the deal, making it harder to sell. I’ll
likely end up paying some of this fee and/or reducing
my price to get agreement from a buyer, especially in
a balanced or slow market.
I’m also concerned that introducing a significant
fee to transactions in Sunriver will put us at a competitive disadvantage with buyers who have plenty of
other options.
I would rather see funding spread equitably across
all Sunriver homeowners. It isn’t reasonable that 140
homeowners per year are responsible for covering
$5,000+ each when the same $700,000 could be
generated by having all 4,200 property owners pay
$167/year ($14/mo).
There have been several recent articles in the Scene
promoting this fee as an either/or scenario. Either we
agree to this fee or we don’t invest in our community
going forward. For some reason, the option of simply
increasing our SROA member fees by a small percentage has not been included in most of these promotional
articles. This sends a confusing and inaccurate picture
of what we are voting on. This is not a choice between
either investing in our community via capital improvements or not investing at all. It is a vote on whether
or not a capital transfer fee is the most appropriate
option for investing in our future. I will be voting no
on this transfer fee, as the more viable and equitable
option for all is simply to increase our member fees so
the investment is shared by all homeowners without
an unfair burden to those few owners who decide to
sell their homes.
Chorus of One: A tax by any other name is still a tax (CTF)
By Tony DeAlicante
The proposed Capital Transfer Fee (CTF) is an
awful idea and I firmly oppose it. It is called a fee but
call it what it is – a sales tax based on the sales price
of your home. A seller could have a loss on the sale of
their property
and still have to pay the CTF. This is not a fair assessment in any sense of the word. Even if you make
a profit on the sale of your property, you pay almost
30% capital gains tax (Federal/State) on any gain, plus
all the other transaction fees, including SROA’s current
transfer fee.
This tax could make Sunriver a less desirable, not
more desirable place to own. Combined with Sunriver’s
golf course limitations, this continues to negatively
impact our home values and the desirability of our
community. An owner may end up paying this tax
twice – once when they buy their property and once
when they sell it because real estate transactions are
completely negotiable.
SROA doesn’t need more capital. There is no exigency that requires this. Yes, we have ongoing capital
expenses, but we already have enough money. Here are
the last four years of Reserves (money SROA brought
in that exceeded SROA’s budget), graciously provided
by SROA:
• 2025 – $29,000
• 2024 – $151,539
• 2023 – $70,936
• 2022 – $582,992
We consistently have an excess of funds that we add
to our over $18M Reserves surplus. We don’t need to
be taxed more because we want bigger Reserves “just
in case.” What we need is a fiscally responsible, well
managed board and SROA, and we have that. If we
maintain that, we don’t need to impose a sales tax on
our homes, businesses and land.
I loved Bill Burke’s (SROA Board President)
comments at a recent board meeting regarding SSD
charging us more fees on top of the taxes we already
pay. Bill challenged: “we’re getting taxed twice? For
readiness?” That’s exactly what this CTF is – another
tax on top of the taxes, fees and dues/expenses we
already pay – for readiness! I’m glad to see the Board
fighting against unreasonable fees from SSD. We need
them now to fight against this unreasonable CTF.
Join me in voting “NO” to oppose the CTF!
JUNE 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
Page 37
