President's Message: An investment in our community

by Doniele Ayres, MVF President

Before I bought my first home, I had a conversation with my dad, and I told him I wanted to buy a condo because “Everything was included.” He told me to be careful because those fees could increase and had a lot of other responsibilities associated with them.

When I bought a home with an association, I didn’t read the covenants or bylaws to understand my responsibilities. The articles I write for the Village News are my way of sharing an explanation of the covenants, bylaws for the Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF), in a way that everyone can understand.

Mike Conroy’s article, “Following Your Assessment Dollars,” talks about what assessment dollars pay for and why. There are two associations, MVF and the local homes corporation, two legally separate entities. Assessment dollars aren’t shared between the two and they pay for separate services. No one wants to see their assessments increase, but the costs of maintaining Montgomery Village – maintenance and repair, trash removal, snow removal and more – increase and they are all paid by assessment dollars.

In most cases, assessment increases have been 7 to 8%, whereas the average residential property assessment in Montgomery County rose by 9% in 2025. Keeping costs low and maintaining required services and legally required reserve amounts is the fiduciary responsibility of the MVF Board of Directors, MVF and Homes Corporations. All assessments aren’t equal. Your HOA (Homeowners Association) or COA (Condominium Association) will be different and will vary even more if MVF does not manage your community.

As Montgomery Village grows, it’s important to remember that we, residents of the Village, are responsible for our community. Our assessment dollars are an investment in our community.

Montgomery Village celebrates its 60^th Anniversary this year, and we are excited about being the ideal place for singles to establish themselves, families to expand and thrive, and seniors to begin the next phase of their lives.

Thank you for being the best part of Montgomery Village!