By Sue Fitzsimons
Governing Board President

The community has spoken.  Lou Mancuso has been removed as a Sun City West Director with a vote of 77.9 percent.

This has been a very difficult time for our community and our Governing Board, and I want to thank our residents for their patience and involvement in the process as this recall was decided. No matter where you stood on the recall question, I am hopeful we can leave this unfortunate chapter behind us and move forward.

The Governing Board has much work to do as we are just beginning a new Fiscal Year and meetings are starting up again. We must work as a team in a professional manner and with respect to fellow Directors and staff as this community expects.  This Board is committed to being civil to one another, working within the Bylaws and laws established, and using the appropriate avenues for new ideas. 

The Board speaks as one, not as individuals with isolated issues.  We ask the community to give us the support we will need to heal our community and to work as a cohesive Board.

At a special Zoom meeting at 9 a.m. Friday, the Board will consider the appointment of two former Board members, Jim Sloan and Tim Hurley, as replacements for the vacated positions of Mr. Mancuso and Bob Carneiro, who resigned for personal reasons in June with a year remaining on his term.  (This meeting will be held virtually, but you can watch it on YouTube.)

 Our bylaws require a Director to vacate the Board for one year before returning as a Director. Both Mr. Sloan and Mr. Hurley have offered to take a one-year appointment to bring our Board up to a full contingent of 9. Both are respected in the community, understand Board customs and policies, and have demonstrated their ability to make rational decisions during their past years on the Board.   

If we do not have consensus through a majority vote of the Board, then the Board will conduct interviews.  That process would take until November to fill the positions. 

According to Bylaw 4.17, both positions filled via appointment will extend only until June 30, 2022.  At the time of the March elections, we will elect four directors, with the lowest vote-getter filling the remainder of Mr. Mancuso’s term beginning July 1 and the rest filling full three-year terms.  Interested owner-members should consider running for election on the regular election schedule, which begins in November.  Marshall Adams is our Election Chair and you may contact him through our Executive Assistant Karen Roepken (623-544-6115) if you have questions.