CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — A meeting scheduled for next month could help blaze a trail toward relief for homeowners in Inverness Village 4 in Citrus County.
The sprawling neighborhood’s streets are unpaved and, at times, almost impassable.
“We’re beyond frustrated. We’re getting to the very angry stage, and all the while, our properties are in jeopardy of eroding away,” said Janeen Eddie, a homeowner in the neighborhood.
As ABC Action News has reported for months, a complicated, confusing saga has created the problem in Inverness Village 4. There has been finger-pointing from both Citrus County government leaders and the people who had a hand in selling lots and building homes there.
Though the county owns the streets, it does not maintain them. Neighbors were made aware they would need to foot the bill to have them paved.
They thought a Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) would be established between them and the county. Such an agreement would have allowed homeowners to pay for the pavement on their tax bills over the span of ten years.
Homeowners are expected to pay around $6,500 per household.
However, more recently, they learned the price could be a lot higher because the neighborhood also needs drainage ponds and stormwater infrastructure. Such an infrastructure was never installed as homes were built over time.
The price tag for paving and drainage could be $109,000 per household.
That cost, which many homeowners have said is unaffordable, has led to a standstill and mounting frustration from homeowners like Eddie.
“We feel like we’ve been totally abandoned by the county. We ask questions. We’ve asked for updates. We’re just asking for anything. And we get nothing,” she said.
Though government leaders are aware of the issues and have taken some steps toward resolution, at this point, there are still no firm answers or solutions.
If successful, the upcoming meeting could finally help break the standstill.
According to Eric Williams, the City Manager of Inverness, his city staff will meet with Citrus County staff on April 19 to brainstorm fixes for Inverness Village 4, such as applying for grants and other solutions.
Even though the neighborhood is located outside Inverness city limits, Williams hopes everyone can work together to figure out a path forward.
Eddie hopes that will be the case.
“There has to be a solution, so I have to continue to be hopeful through my anger. There has to be a solution. This is not okay,” she said.
