Dear Editor:
Whatever legal avenues or past battles people want to look back on, the reality facing Cherokee Village right now comes down to simple, cold math: Where is the money going to come from?
We are staring at an estimated $6 million to $8 million just to repair a failing dam, while the rest of our lakes, roads, and amenities sit in advanced decay with zero reserves left to maintain them. The funds that were supposed to protect this town’s future are gone, and no higher authority is coming to bail us out.
When the bill comes due, it is going to fall squarely on the citizens—homeowners, renters, business owners, and absentee lot owners alike—in the form of massive tax hikes and tanking property values. We will be forced to pay twice for the very things that make this community liveable.
What many still fail to realize is that the collapse of Cherokee Village will not stop at our borders. The loss of our amenities and property values will create a catastrophic ripple effect across the entire tri-county region, hitting local businesses, depressing revenue, and hurting the broader local economy.
It’s time to stop pretending this is business as usual. Every property owner, local business, and regional politician needs to wake up to the financial wall we are heading toward. If the community doesn’t face this reality now, the cost of fixing it later will bankrupt us all.
Respectfully,
Ben F.
Cherokee Village resident
