Westchase HOA Fees: What Lower 2027 Dues Could Cost You

At the Westchase Community Association's February 2026 board meeting, a resident asked how much the community would save by cutting lifeguards to summer only. Treasurer Eric Holt answered roughly $96,000 a year. The questioner did the division out loud and said it worked out to $27 per household per year.

The board voted to keep lifeguards only through Labor Day and then run the pools without them. Eight months later, the draft 2027 budget proposes cutting the annual WCA assessment from $477 to $460.66. That $16.34 drop is real, but it is a small part of what a buyer pays in Westchase. The governance behind it explains more about owning a home here than the dues figure does.

The Costs That Arrive Before the Keys

A Westchase purchase involves several separate charges, and the dues listing a buyer sees first covers only one of them.

1. The capitalization contribution. WCA's 2026 budget notes describe a $2,500 per-unit fee paid by new buyers. The board approved that amount with the 2025 budget on a 7–0 vote in November 2024.
2. The WCA master assessment. It is $477 for 2026, with $460.66 proposed for 2027.
3. A possible sub-association fee. Westchase WOW reported in July 2026 that there are 13 sub-associations inside Westchase. The master declaration also allows neighborhood assessments against homes in the neighborhoods that benefit from them.
4. The Westchase CDD assessment. This is a non-ad valorem charge collected through the county property tax roll to fund operations and maintenance.

The capitalization fee also shows how much the association's budget depends on resales. The 2026 budget counts on $300,000 from it, based on 10 sales a month. The 2027 draft lowers that line to $270,000. If the fee stays at $2,500, that works out to about nine sales a month. The draft worksheet does not state a 2027 per-unit rate, so buyers should confirm the current fee on their estoppel certificate.

Where the $16 Came From

Nearly all of the savings come from the swim and tennis side of the budget. Comparing the 2026 budget with the 2027 draft:

Swim and tennis spending falls about 27.6%. Part of the payroll savings goes to a larger outside pool service contract, and appropriated funds more than triple. Elsewhere in the draft, general liability insurance rises 16.21%.

Cost was not the reason board leaders gave. During the February debate, Holt said money was not the driving factor:

"Part of the problem is that we are in the HR business and we shouldn't be."

The scale of that HR load was already on record. In July 2025, Voting Members heard that Swim & Tennis payroll ran about $495,000, with lifeguards alone costing about $325,000. Earlier, WCA's manager had reported that the association's insurance broker saw no premium impact from removing lifeguards as long as the right signs were posted.

Summer camp went the same month. Holt estimated last year's camp served roughly 40 campers a week, split fairly evenly between residents and non-residents, and about 100 families over the season. The board voted 4–1 to suspend it for 2026 so it would have time to build a better program.

The Pool Deck as of This Fall

The survey behind the lifeguard decision drew 425 responses. 179 favored eliminating lifeguards, 137 wanted them in summer only, 101 wanted no change, and 8 had no preference. When asked how often they used the pools, 25% of respondents said often and 20% said never. The board voted to keep lifeguards through Labor Day and then switch to a swim-at-your-own-risk model staffed by Community Service Attendants.

A September 22, 2026 notice from WCA said the transition was complete. Attendants check residents in, keep the facilities clean and answer questions. They do not continuously monitor swimmers. Parents and guardians are solely responsible for supervising children. The posted hours were 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at West Park Village and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Countryway, and WCA said it expects both to open at 7 a.m. as it adds staff.

Other amenity spending continues. In September the board approved a roughly $124,000 tennis and pickleball court resurfacing proposal, and installation of a facility access-control system has started, with about 12 weeks of work estimated.

Investors should know one rule. In July the board confirmed that owners and their tenants cannot use the amenities at the same time. Allowing it would require changing the governing documents.

The Charge Going the Other Way

The Westchase Community Development District is a separate government body with its own budget, and its budget is growing. The CDD's FY 2026–27 budget, presented at its August 4, 2026 meeting, raises total on-roll O&M assessment revenue from $3,608,406 to $3,799,264, an increase of about 5.29%. That figure covers the whole district. Each home's share depends on the assessment schedule, and the most reliable place to find it is the property's own tax bill.

The two charges move separately because separate bodies vote on them. Lower WCA dues can sit alongside a higher CDD assessment, so a buyer comparing yearly costs across Tampa communities needs to add both lines plus any sub-association fee.

Thirty-One Amendments and a Few "No" Votes

The voting system matters as much as the costs. Westchase has 3,514 homes in 33 neighborhoods. Each neighborhood elects one Voting Member, who casts the votes for all the homes in that neighborhood, so each Voting Member's vote is weighted by neighborhood size. Owners get a referendum ballot, but their Voting Member casts the actual vote.

At the February 10, 2026 referendum, 29 Voting Members attended, representing 89% of the association's votes. Five neighborhoods had no representative because of two vacancies and three absences, and each missing representative counted as a "No." Of the 31 amendments that failed, four failed with just three "No" votes and 13 failed with five. The association's own analysis says the 12 failed amendments it examined had, on average, more than 80% support from the Voting Members present. Some amendments did pass, and the association's certificate of amendment for them was signed before a notary on May 14, 2026.

Two failed items affect owners' finances directly. Approval of special assessments failed by six "No" votes even though 79.3% of the room supported it. Amendments to the CC&Rs failed by five "No" votes with 82.8% support. The same analysis notes that the Greens, Bridges and Shires together hold 25.3% of the association's votes, so those three neighborhoods voting no or staying home can block any measure that needs 75%. It also records that legal counsel advised against using a 75% threshold for any HOA decision.

What October 13 Could Change

The Voting Members' meeting on October 13, 2026 has voting thresholds for the CC&Rs and bylaws on the agenda, along with a Document Review Committee update. The committee's comparison proposes lowering many 75% thresholds to 60%, including CC&R amendments and special assessments. These are proposals for now.

The 2027 budget is also still a draft. Voting Members reviewed it at a September 29 workshop. They do not have to approve the budget, but they can veto it. The split of duties between the master association and the sub-associations is also being clarified. After violation notices went out in Woodbridge and The Vineyards for items the sub-associations handle, the board directed management company Inframark to collect each sub-association's responsibilities so counsel can draw up a chart.

A buyer under contract this fall could close on a home where the vote needed to approve a special assessment is under discussion, with a proposal to lower it from 75% to 60%.

FAQ

Is $460.66 the final 2027 WCA assessment? No. As of October 4, 2026, it is a draft that Voting Members reviewed in September and can still veto.

Did the capitalization fee drop along with the dues? Not according to anything published so far. The 2026 budget notes list it at $2,500 per unit, and we found no 2026 board vote changing it. The 2027 draft budgets less total fee income but does not state a per-unit rate.

Who represents a homeowner on these votes? The Voting Member elected by the homeowner's neighborhood, who casts that neighborhood's weighted votes.

If you're weighing a Westchase home, Onyx Collective can help you add up the full cost before you write an offer: the capitalization fee, the master assessment, any sub-association dues and the CDD line on the tax bill. We'll also tell you which open votes could change those numbers after you close. If you already own in Westchase, get your free home valuation and see how these changes may affect what buyers will pay for your home.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.