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Neighbor News

Leisure World of Maryland - From the inside out

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POINT BLANK: Facts you need to know about

Leisure World of Maryland-


Leisure World of Maryland provides visitors and uninformed residents an esthetically eye pleasing, yet dated surface view. Of major concern however, is the outdated manner of governance exercised by members and leaders of the homeowners association run organization and its management corporation.

Transparency is not a term within their collective vocabulary. When confronted with 21st Century concepts and suggestions for improvement, ”That’s the way we do it” is the mantra often expressed by members in leadership positions.


Leisure World of Maryland is an 8500+senior citizens community on 610 acres located in the Silver Spring area of well to do Montgomery County, Maryland. The multi-tiered system of governance is headed by a Leisure World Community Corporation (“LWCC”) Board of Directors consisting of selected (not elected) representatives from each of the 29 individual “Mutuals”. Each Mutual has its own budget and elects its own Board of Directors. The selected LWCC representatives are responsible for the $24+ Million annual Leisure World budget which is funded from relatively high monthly fees paid by the residents.

Leisure World of Maryland Corporation (“LWMC”) is the management arm of Leisure World. In 2014, $3,813,700 was apportioned for management costs, from which the General Manager receives a hefty $204,000, plus fully paid health insurance, 5 weeks paid vacation, 6 training days annually, an all expense paid trip to a conference in New Orleans, and bonuses over the past 3 years of $15,000.

The 2014 Annual Leisure World $24,223,819.00 budget shows a continued yearly loss of $250,000+ (residents funds) to maintain an 18 hole golf course. Only 158 of the 8500+ residents are paying members.

To the chagrin of Leisure World Community Corporation and those in management allowing continuation of this example of failed business acumen, investigative reports and the mere thought of outside press inquiry, become their worst nightmare. By example, in concert with the LWCC Chairwoman, the General Manager has instructed the community newspaper “Editor” to send any such submissions for his review. Blatantly violating the First Amendment as well as the residents right to read documented reports of wrong doing, he then censors and denies publication. These censored reports include intimidation of residents, their questions and concerns being ignored, conflict of interest, nepotism in employment, examples of misfeasance, questionable expenditures of budget expenditures, contract violations, and breach of fiduciary responsibility.

The community paper “The Leisure World News” is funded by advertisers for bi-weekly distribution to the residents - it is the ONLY profit center in Leisure World. There is NO allowance for any form of real news or investigative reporting - it is NOT permitted.

In 2013, the Leisure World Board of Directors adopted the “Public Relations Advisory Committee” motion barring press/media entrance to controversial community informational hearings regarding their intention to hire a company to kill 32 deer by bow and arrow on the Leisure World golf course. Of note was the fact that 3 members of the Leisure World Board of Directors were also assigned as members of the PR Committee as well. At the same time, the community wide Yahoo group, run by one of the 3, censored and then banned access to this writer when reporting about the actions taken by him and his cohorts.

Stay tuned folks – it’s going to be an interesting ride.

slk


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