A group of Vecinos members, including me, recently sent a message to the community. For completeness I include this on this 2024 Vecinos election forum.  A response on this forum is welcomed. 

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Dear Neighbor:

Our community needs your help to right a wrong.

Vecinos Member and citizen of Mexico, Scott Brown, submitted his name as a candidate for Vice President of Vecinos but the Vecinos board decided unfairly (and behind closed doors) that he is not qualified to serve in this role.   

Vecinos’ bylaws have long required the President and Vice President to be “full-time residents of Akumal” but the bylaws don’t say what “full-time resident” means. In the past, the Board has interpreted this provision flexibly, recognizing that the purpose of the requirement is to ensure these positions are held only by members who can be physically present in Akumal Norte on a daily basis throughout most of the year. This year, however, the Board has ruled that Scott Brown, who has lived most of his life in Akumal Norte, who owns two properties in Akumal Norte, and who works every day out of an office in Akumal, is not qualified to serve as VP because he sleeps just up the road in Puerto Aventuras. 

To date, the board has made no public announcement about their ruling on Scott’s qualifications even though Vecinos Bylaws REQUIRE that acts like this be ratified by the general membership of Vecinos.  The quiet effort to erase Scott’s name as a candidate for Vice President is allowing former President, Dan Freeman, to come out of retirement and run for VP unopposed.

Director of Elections, Jon Kantor, recommended changing the candidate bio that Scott submitted without sharing the revisions with him and listed Scott on the election webpage as a candidate for an At Large seat on the board, not as a candidate for VP.  So Scott has drafted a new online bio that reinstates his bid to run for Vice President and insists that Mr. Kantor prepare a ballot that lists his name as a candidate for Vice President (per the same interpretation of the residency requirement that was applied during elections in 2022 and 2023.)  

 (specific action items omitted)

There’s still time to right this wrong but we need as many Vecinos members as possible to communicate with the Board ASAP.   (Several board members are running for reelection and need to understand they are acting against the wishes of a majority of the members who elected them.) 

Thank you for making your voice heard on the injustice being done in your name by your association! 

Sincerely, 

Jeannie Patrick 

+1(614) 581-2240

Owner, Playa Caribe #11

Candidate for an At Large Seat

Liane Perry 

+1(603) 930-4135

Owner, La Bahia #11

Candidate for an At Large Seat

Lisa Wilson 

+1(202) 905-6103

Owner, Casa Fortuna

Candidate for Secretary of the Board

Steve Hamilton 

+1(303) 884-5961

Owner, Playa Blanca #8

Vecinos Member

Ron Stern 

+1(949) 678-9102

Owner, Casa de los Sueños

Vecinos Member

Marieke Brown 

+52(984) 105-8475

Owner, Playa Blanca #10

Vecinos Member

Once again as the former Charter Committee Chair 2022-23 and Director of Elections 2023 (and the elections coordinator in 2022) I am writing solely to correct inaccuracies or overstatements.

The letter was not sent “to the community” but rather to what I presume was subset of that group. Some members of the community (including me) did not receive it.

The board did not “decide unfairly”. The disqualification of Scott’s candidacy as VP was made by the Director of Elections. The board voted confidence in the Director.

The board in recent years has not been flexible in interpreting the term “fulltime resident of Akumal” for the President and Vice President. “Fulltime” was agreed is 6months less a day and resident of Akumal is a fact.

Puerto Aventuras is not “just up the road” it is a part of the municipality of Solidaridad not part of Tulum municipality.

The board could not make a public announcement about Scott’s disqualification since it was not their decision.

The Bylaws require that the general meeting of members ratifies the acts of the board taken during the year. There is no requirement to ratify actions at the time they are taken.

Scott told me that he was withdrawing his candidacy for VP, I do not know what he discussed with Jon Kantor

The interpretation of the residency requirement in 2022-2023 is unchanged. In 2022 there was no nominating committee so as coordinator of the elections I requested that candidates provided the necessary information (RFC and residence).

I do not believe that the statement “acting against the wishes of the majority of the members who elected them” is accurate. Only after the conclusion of this year’s general meeting can the truth of this statement be verified.