Arbor Greene Paid Off Its CDD Bonds. The Village Line on the Tax Bill Still Varies More Than Fourfold.

Arbor Greene's Community Development District no longer carries bond debt, so the CDD charge on an Arbor Greene tax bill pays only for operations and maintenance. That charge isn't the same across the community. For fiscal year 2027, the per-unit operating rate in the district's main fund runs from $702.04 to $3,216.29, depending on which of the community's villages a home belongs to.

When buyers compare New Tampa communities, they usually treat "CDD" as shorthand for bond debt and ask how many years are left on it. In Arbor Greene, that question has already been answered. A better question is which village the house is in and what that village's gate is costing this year.

The Bonds Are Gone

Arbor Greene did borrow at one point. In August 2015, Standard & Poor's raised its rating on the district's Series 2006 special assessment revenue bonds to "A" from "A-". It cited a strong value-to-lien ratio and cash flows strong enough that the debt service reserve could absorb the loss of the district's top 10 taxpayers.

Ten years later, that debt is gone from the books. The district's audited statement of net position as of September 30, 2025, filed with the Florida Auditor General, lists $55,417 in accounts payable and accrued liabilities and no bonds or other long-term liabilities. The audit shows the debt is gone. It doesn't give the payoff year.

This matters because of how the district describes its own charges. A CDD assessment on the county tax bill can have two parts. One is an operations and maintenance assessment that "can fluctuate up and down from year to year." The other is a capital assessment to repay bonds, which generally stays fixed for the life of the bonds. Arbor Greene owners now pay only the first part. Their CDD line has no fixed debt payment underneath it. It rises or falls with each year's adopted budget.

Fifteen Rate Lines Inside One Gate

The FY2027 adopted budget, dated August 18, 2026, covers 1,245 units on 333 acres. It sets a separate main-fund rate for each parcel group. Every one of these rates is identical to FY2026.

The full spread is more than fourfold, from Townhomes to Enclave. Even among the villages that aren't labeled townhomes, an Enclave home's main-fund rate is about two and a half times Devonshire's. A buyer weighing two similar resale homes a few streets apart could see a gap of $1,900 or more a year on this one line, and the gap isn't tied to the price of either house.

The main fund pays for what the whole community shares. In FY2027 that includes $446,000 for landscape services and $220,764 for the main gatehouse, of which $193,000 is the security services contract. The district-wide main-fund levy is $2,478,057.82 for FY2027, essentially the same as the $2,478,058 levied for FY2026. At the main-fund level, the budget held flat.

Where the Money Is Moving

The year-to-year changes show up in the second layer. Five villages have their own inner gates, and each of those gates has its own small fund in the CDD budget: 002 for Devonshire, 003 for Estuary, 004 for Enclave, 005 for Parkview and 006 for Retreat. Only the homes behind each gate pay into its fund, and those funds don't all move the same way.

• Enclave. The fund's total levy goes from $6,138 to $12,680.85. Gate repair spending was budgeted at $2,850 for FY2026 and projected at $7,321, and FY2027 budgets $10,000. The fund begins FY2027 at negative $1,423. The per-unit gate charge rises from $52.00 to $107.46, on top of the highest main-fund rate in the community.
• Parkview. The levy goes from $2,899 to $11,100.18. FY2026 gate repairs were projected at $6,686 against a $2,000 budget, and the fund begins FY2027 at negative $3,537. The per-unit charge goes from $14.64 to $56.06, which brings Parkview H/J to $2,144.94 in total and Parkview I/K to $1,650.69.
• Devonshire. The levy falls from $4,957 to $3,574.47, even as the gate reserve contribution rises from $300 to $3,160. The total per-unit charge drops 1.4%, from $1,374.30 to $1,355.61.
• Retreat. The levy falls from $3,830 to $1,595.74, and the fund keeps a beginning balance of $13,582.
• Estuary. The levy holds at about $2,837, and the per-unit total stays at $2,655.67.

These gate funds are small, so a single repair year can move them a lot. For a buyer, a village's gate history matters more than the community-wide budget. Two of the five gated villages start this fiscal year with negative balances, and the per-unit charge in both has gone up.

The Stormwater Study Due This Month

The next item that could affect the main fund is still pending. At the September 10, 2026 workshop, the district reported that its District Engineer and field staff were assessing the stormwater system across the whole property, including pond banks and conveyances, with a report expected by the end of September or the beginning of October. The same report said the tennis-court resurfacing agreement had been fully executed and the work was scheduled for December.

The FY2027 budget sets aside $8,000 for stormwater reserves, $16,299 for lake repairs and maintenance, and $15,000 for stormwater system repairs. That last line was budgeted at $5,000 for FY2026, and $12,450 had been spent by July 31. As of October 6, the district calendar lists a workshop on October 15 and a board meeting on October 20. The engineer's findings haven't been published yet. Until they are, nobody can say whether pond-bank work will fit within those reserves or become a budget item. Because the bonds are gone, any new cost would go straight into the operations and maintenance assessment.

What to Request Before Writing an Offer

The CDD is only part of the community cost, and the rest isn't published. The district describes the master homeowners association as handling responsibilities alongside the CDD, such as deed restrictions and amenity operations. The FY2027 budget notes that the HOA pays the district $80 a month toward shared aquatic services. The master HOA dues and any village sub-association dues aren't posted on the district's public pages, so they have to come from the association itself.

1. Get the property's most recent county tax bill and confirm the CDD line matches the village rate in the FY2027 schedule.
2. If the home is in Devonshire, Estuary, Enclave, Parkview or Retreat, check that village's gate fund balance and recent repair spending.
3. Ask the HOA for an estoppel certificate that shows master dues and any village-level dues.
4. Review the October 15 workshop and October 20 board meeting materials for the District Engineer's stormwater findings.
5. On an older home, get the date of the last full roof replacement before the inspection period ends, because insurers rely on it.

A Few Direct Answers

Does Arbor Greene still have a CDD bond assessment?

The district's audited financial statements as of September 30, 2025 show no bond or long-term liability. The FY2027 budget includes only operating funds.

When does the FY2027 rate apply?

The district's fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30, so FY2027 rates apply now.

Why does the roof date matter on a resale here?

Under Florida law, roof age is counted from the last time 100% of the roof was replaced. An insurer can't refuse or nonrenew a policy solely because a roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof 15 years or older, the owner can get an inspection, and age alone can't be the reason to refuse coverage if the inspection shows at least five years of useful life left. Insurers can still decline for other lawful underwriting reasons. Citizens' FAQ, last updated March 17, 2026, asks for replacement documentation on shingle roofs over 25 years old and tile or metal roofs over 50, unless an underwriter accepts an inspection showing five years of remaining life. Get a written insurance quote for the specific address before closing.

If you're comparing homes in different Arbor Greene villages, Pamela Link can pull the CDD rate, gate fund history and HOA estoppel for each address and put them side by side. If you already own in Arbor Greene and want to know how your village's carrying costs affect your sale price, start with a free home valuation.

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