District F.A.Q.s
What is the purpose of the Harmony CDD?
The
“District” was created for the sole purpose of financing & managing acquisition, construction, operation, and maintenance of the infrastructure necessary for the community development.
The establishing ordinances for the District authorize it to issue bonds which are purposed to funding, financing, planning, establishing, constructing, reconstructing, extending, enlarging, acquiring, equipping, operating, & maintaining community facilities.
These include the water supply, water management, sewer & wastewater management, bridges & culverts, street lights, roadways, and other basic infrastructure projects within or without the District boundaries,
as provided in the Four Establishment Ordinances.
Why do I pay assessments, how are they calculated,
and what can I expect to pay annually?
WHY:
All landowners will pay non-ad valorem assessments related to capital costs and operation and maintenance costs of District facilities and services. Bonds were issued to fund these capital costs, and the bonds were secured by pledged revenues, which are collected on behalf of the District in the form of non-ad valorem assessments on the properties within the District that accrue benefit from the capital improvements. “Non-ad valorem” means that assessments are not based on property value; while “ad valorem” real estate taxes are based on property value.
HOW:
The annual assessment is comprised of two components: debt service and maintenance.
The debt service component is the fixed amount required to amortize the debt for facilities and infrastructure acquired or constructed by the District. The annual debt assessment collected for each property was determined based upon use of each parcel. The District has levied a debt assessment against your property that is based on benefit and your pro-rata share of the cost of the public infrastructure and facilities financed by the District.
The maintenance component is an annual assessment for operations & maintenance of District infrastructure and facilities. Each year, the Board of Supervisors holds a public hearing to set the budget and the level of operations & maintenance assessments. Included in the operations & maintenance assessment is your pro-rata share of the annual costs to administer the District.
WHAT:
The Harmony CDD initially issued two bond series, Series 2001 and Series 2004, for the benefit of public infrastructure and facilities for all properties within the District. Both Series of bonds were financed over a 30-year period, subject at any time to refinancing or refunding at the direction of the Board of Supervisors.
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The Series 2001 Bonds were refinanced in 2014, and the Series 2004 Bonds were refinanced in 2015, resulting in annual debt service (interest payment) savings; monies of which were set aside to pay down the District’s street lighting liabilities. |
These assessments are fixed over the life of the bonds and are included on the annual real estate tax bills. All home owners have the option of paying down their debt assessment early, either in part or in whole, which will either reduce or eliminate the annual debt assessment levied on their property. The approximate amount of each homeowner’s debt assessment is available in the “Par-per-Unit/Acre” column [third from right] of the current FY Assessment schedule. For a detailed estoppel about paying down your property’s debt assessment, please contact the Assessment Department of our District Management contractor:
- either by Phone at 954-603-0034; or
- via eMail to [email protected]
For those home owners choosing not to pay down the debt assessment early, you will pay this assessment only for the period of time that you own your home, or until 2032 (for Series 2001 original issue, now Series 2014 refinanced issue) or 2036 (for Series 2004 original issue, now Series 2015 refinanced issue), whichever is sooner. If you sell your home before the District Bonds are paid off, the next owner becomes responsible for paying the remaining share of the cost of the infrastructure and facilities.
For details & history of your property, search County Appraiser Records.
The
operations & maintenance assessment may vary based upon the general fund budget adopted each year after an advertised, public hearing.
The District operates in the same fiscal year (FY) as other governmental entities, which year begins October 1st & ends September 30th of the following year. The budget shows the maintenance assessments by product type.
Click here to review Fiscal Year District Budgets.
Combining the debt component with the operations & maintenance component yields the total non-ad valorem assessments included on your annual real estate tax bill.
While these assessments are not taxes, they do appear on your property tax bill you receive in November each year. If you have a mortgage on the property & your taxes are escrowed, your assessments may be included in your monthly mortgage payment. In such case, your tax bill is sent directly to your mortgage company and is paid from your escrow account.
Click here to review Fiscal Year Assessment Schedules.
What is the difference between
the Harmony CDD and the Harmony ROA?
The fundamental difference between the two is that the Harmony “CDD” is a public entity, responsible for the “common” (public) areas, while the Harmony “ROA” is a private entity, responsible for the “residential” (private) areas of the community.
Harmony Residential Owners Association (HROA), Inc.
- The legal basis for the Harmony ROA is Florida Statutes (F.S. Chapter 720), under which Articles of Incorporation are filed establishing it as a Non-Profit Corporation.
- All Harmony unit owners are automatically members of the HROA. Note that The Lakes 55+ Gated Community, the Ashley Park Condominiums, & the Ashley Park Townhomes each have “Owner Associations” that are independent of, and in addition to, the HROA.
- The primary role of the HROA is to ensure compliance with the rules, restrictions, and Community Wide Standards set forth in a unit owner‘s Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions; a deed agreement made at the time of unit purchase.
[codified in Harmony Association documents]
- Annual assessments fund the required administrative operations of the Association, as outlined in the annual HROA budget — per Florida Statutes (F.S. Chapter 720).
- The HROA is administered by a Board of Directors, elected by majority land owners, which meets quarterly to conduct general Association business.
- The HROA also holds an annual unit owners meeting, coincident with election of the Board of Directors, which includes an annual “assessments & budget” review, and a unit owners open discussion of general topics pertaining to the Association.
See HROA Contact Information on the Related Links webpage;
& an Overview of HOA Laws in Florida for further information.
Harmony Community Development District (HCDD)
The Harmony CDD is empowered under Florida Statutes
(F.S. Chapter 190) as a special-purpose Local Government.- Non-ad valorem assessments levied by the HCDD appear as a line item on the annual Osceola County real estate tax bill of Harmony property owners.
- The Harmony CDD is administered by a Board of Supervisors (elected by the adult residents of the District who are registered voters in the General Election).
- Anyone who is domiciled within the boundary of the District (owner or renter) is, by law, considered to be a resident of the District.
- The CDD Board of Supervisors meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. The agendized schedule of meetings is shown at the top-right of this page.
- The HCDD is responsible for the maintenance of:
- Swim Clubs (including parking lots)
- Community Entryways and U.S. 192 Frontage
- Sidewalks & Alleyways (in rear-loader neighborhoods)
- Harmony Town Square (Town Center Park)
- Long Park (adjacent to golf course)
- Linear Park (north side of Butterfly Drv)
- Lakeshore Park (sport fields, courts, and pavilion)
- Neighborhood Parks (within Birchwood, Cypress, Drake, Estates, Green, Cherry Hill, Rosewood, Waterside, The Lakes, and future neighborhoods)
- Street Lighting (under a service agreement contract with OUC)
- Docks, Piers, and Boats at Buck Lake
- Stormwater Ponds
- Dog Parks
Facilities That Are Separate From HCDD & HROA
There are several community areas and amenities that are separate from both the HCDD & the HROA. These features within Harmony (but not owned by unit owners) include:
- Harmony Golf Preserve (i.e., the golf course)
- Clubhouse (Pro Shop, Fitness Center, Banquet Facilities, Champions Restaurant)
- Buck Lake (The District owns and operates the boats that are available to Harmony residents at Buck Lake Park, & Harmony residents are able to enjoy Buck Lake & its lakeshore facilities pursuant to an agreement between the two Harmony Districts.)
- Property used by various entities as temporary facility locations
- Administration and Welcome Center buildings
- All undeveloped Harmony land
Other features that are owned by others, with restricted use by Harmony residents and the public, include:
- Tunnel beneath U.S. 192 (Florida Department Of Transportation; i.e., “FDOT”)
- Harmony High School and Athletic Facilities (Osceola County School District)
- Harmony Community School K-8 (Osceola County School District)
- Harmony Streets from curb to curb (Osceola County)
- Trail Network (Harmony Development, LLC) Click here for Trails Map
How can I reserve a Recreation Facility for my private party?
Contact the District Office and request that a form be mailed or emailed to you. Alternately, download the appropriate Reservation Form directly from the Recreational Facilities page and mail your application to us along with a check for the required deposit amount.
We will notify you as to whether the facility is available, and to confirm your reservation. Please note that use is not exclusive to your party; other Harmony residents may still have access to the basic facility (e.g., the swimming pool).
- Buck Lake Fishing Piers
- Boats On Buck Lake
- Harmony Square
- Sports Fields
- Ashley Park
- Swim Club
- Pavilions
Where and when are Harmony CDD meetings held?
Currently, HCDD Board meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month in the Jones Model Home located at 3285 Songbird Circle, East Lakes, Harmony, FL; starting promptly at 6:00 p.m. The current Fiscal Year’s schedule of Meetings is at the top-right of this page.
When is the next General Election for Supervisors?
The next General Election will be 2024 November 5 for Seats 1, 3, & 5. For a complete list of candidates in the General Election, visit the Supervisor of Elections website. The slate of Harmony CDD Candidates will be posted on the Community Bulletin Board.
Michael C. Eckert, Esq.
Kutak Rock, LLP.
107 West College Avenue
voice: 
fax: 407-566-2064
