From Sunny Hills, Florida:
We are so grateful for the turnout and the encouragement yesterday of our first meeting of many more in addressing the real life concerns of those that live in this great place, we call Sunny Hills! It sounds kinda cliché, but I’ll say it anyway “together we stand” and yesterday we stood and we will continue to stand.
Let’s be clear, one of the reasons many of us chose to live in Sunny Hills is precisely because we did NOT want an HOA. We chose to live out here (in the woods) for freedom, space, and to be away from that kind of micromanaged nonsense. So let’s put that rumor to rest right now, this effort has nothing to do with creating an HOA.
And momentum is building.
We now have three active petitions moving forward:
A petition to the Florida DEP and Public Service Commission demanding regulatory review, accountability, and action concerning the growing water infrastructure concerns in Sunny Hills.
A petition to the Washington County Board of County Commissioners calling for a moratorium on issuing new building permits that connect additional homes to the current water system until the infrastructure concerns are properly addressed.
A petition to abolish the Sunny Hills MSBU structure that has long operated as a county-controlled advisory mechanism where residents have little real control over taxation, spending, and decision-making.
Did you know the municipal services benefit unit (MSBU) committee (5 members, each representing the five districts in the county) are not elected by you. In the beginning when the MSBU was created, back in the early 2000s they were elected by you, and they controlled the pursestrings NOT SO ANYMORE.
Members are appointed through the County’s process, not directly accountable to Sunny Hills voters at the ballot box. If, as stated, and they do, commissioners appoint members, that means decisions affecting your assessments, projects, and spending priorities (and believe me folks they do ) can be influenced by appointees you did not choose. Imagine that. 
And let’s be clear about authority.
This is not an independent governing body.
As reflected in the November 16, 2023 BOCC minutes, when discussion arose about the MSBU committee’s role, then-County Administrator Massey stated plainly… in plain sight. They have no shame in what the MSBU is and has become…
“ MSBU IS THE COUNTY, AND THE COUNTY IS MSBU”!
These folks, THE EVEN CURRENT ADMINISTRATOR AND THE COMMISSIONERS all of them are very protective of their cash cow!
Even Gary Hartman followed by clarifying:
“There is no misunderstanding about them being an advisory committee.”
Translation:
The MSBU committee advises.
The County controls!
Which is exactly why residents should carefully read the petition and decide whether this structure still serves Sunny Hills, or whether it has outlived its usefulness.
And I will make a observation I’ve seen it, and as the saying goes, “mama might of had an ugly baby, but it ain’t stupid”. The current administration, the Commission the current administrator he/ “they” want that MSBU money (we seen this yesterday in the meeting as he, the new county administrator coddled Mr. Parrish as we brought the facts up about the lack of leadership from the coordinator, and what is being done with MSBU tax assessment money currently, as we explained this to those who attended the meeting to the awesome people in Sunny Hills, the county administrator, telling him, IN PLAIN SIGHT, his employee the paid coordinator Mr. Parrish paid from the MSBU tax assessment…everything‘s OK, don’t worry… you’re doing a good job well it’s not OK! So the administrator, as do all the commissioners want that MSBU MONEY so they don’t have to use your property taxes out here in Sunny Hills. They can spend that money elsewhere and use the assessment the MSBU TAX assessment to pander to the developers out here, with each house built, increasing their Ad-Valorem tax base to spend elsewhere. Using the MSBU tax assessment paving roads that pander to the developers. Not roads when it comes to public safety and emergency access. Spending MSBU money thousands upon thousands of dollars on a privately owned front entrance owned by Deltona using MSBU tax money to clean it up make it look all pretty for Deltona, as their sales office is just adjacent to the front entrance. For what you ask??? so we could then give it back to them, it’s all in the BOCC minutes! You can’t make this stuff up folks. Sign the petition no more MSBU and the others. We got a lot of signatures yesterday for the petitions and we hope to be canvassing Sunny Hills in the week ahead to get more before we move forward demanding change.
Thanks for everyone that came out, and for those that are still in the middle of the road or still don’t have confidence because of failed attempts in the past we hope to gain your confidence and your trust in the days and weeks ahead!
Courtesy Sunny Hills, Florida
