In 2026, a buyer closing on a Lake Kiowa lot owes the LKPOA an initiation fee of $4,044.24. The association's management certificate sets that fee at 12 months of the applicable monthly dues, rising each year with the dues. The fee is due at closing, and if the title company doesn't collect it there, the certificate says it is added to the new member's bill. Divide $4,044.24 by 12 and you get $337.02. That matches every monthly line on the 2026 fee schedule except garbage and one fund that didn't exist when the schedule was printed.
That missing fund matters. The bylaws protect Lake Kiowa members with a 5% annual limit on dues increases, and the limit covers only part of the bill. The fastest-growing part of a member's cost sits in reserve lines outside it, and the LKPOA's own scorecard shows those reserves well below their targets.
The Bill, Line by Line
Here is the monthly bill for each of Lake Kiowa's 1,467 paying lots, from the FY2026 approved fee schedule and the Road Reserve Fund that started on April 1, 2026.
| Line item | FY2025 | FY2026 | Counts toward 5% cap? | Separate yearly limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations & maintenance | $233.53 | $245.21 | Yes | Shared 5% cap |
| Capital Asset Requisition Fund | $29.62 | $31.10 | Yes | Shared 5% cap |
| Asset Replacement Reserve Fund | $29.18 | $30.06 | No | Set by the Board each budget |
| Golf Course Reserve Fund | $15.00 | $15.45 | No | 3% |
| Lake Management Reserve Fund | $14.48 | $15.20 | No | 5% |
| Road Reserve Fund | none | $20.00 from April 1 | No | 5% |
| Garbage collection | $21.66 | $22.63 | Billed separately | None in bylaws |
The cap and limit columns come from Sections 15.03 and 16.02 of the April 2026 bylaws. Add up everything except garbage and the 2026 bill comes to $357.02 a month, or $379.65 with garbage.
The capped portion did exactly what the bylaws promise. The combined maintenance fee went from $263.15 to $276.31, an increase of 5.0%. The whole bill rose faster. The FY2025 total before garbage was $321.81. By April 2026 it was $357.02, an increase of about 10.9% in a year when the capped lines stayed at the limit.
How the Cap Is Written
Section 15.03 says that if the Board approves an increase of more than 5% in the Regular Annual Maintenance Assessment, the budget goes to the members. Ballots must be mailed on or before February 1. If members reject the budget twice, the increase drops back to 5%. Section 16.02 then lists four restricted reserve funds and says each one "will not be used when determining the (5) percent maximum annual increase allowed without membership approval."
Each excluded fund was approved by the members. The Lake Management Reserve Fund passed a member vote on March 14, 2020. The Golf Course Reserve Fund came out of a February 2025 vote. At first it simply split the existing $44.18 asset replacement charge into $15.00 for golf and $29.18 for everything else. The June 2025 Communique stated plainly that "this is not increasing fees/dues." The Road Reserve Fund was the first truly new money. It added $20 per lot per month, or about $352,080 a year.
The bylaw text also leaves one gap. Golf, lake and road reserves each have a yearly percentage limit. The Asset Replacement Reserve Fund charge "will be an amount determined by the Board during the annual budgeting process," and that section sets no percentage limit at all.
Why the Uncapped Lines Matter
The reserves are where the money is short. The LKPOA's Q2 2026 KPI scorecard measures each fund against 10 years of projected spending, with a target of more than 70%:
- Asset Replacement Reserve Fund: 28.4%
- Golf Course Reserve Fund: 10.2%
- Lake Management Reserve Fund: 32.0%
- Road Reserve Fund: 2.1%
Low numbers are normal for a young fund, and the road fund had only been collecting for a few months. As of July 31, 2026, it held $117,707. Roads are a big expense here because nobody else will pay for them. The POA's January 2026 explainer calls the roads the association's largest asset. It says Texas law bars Cooke County and TxDOT from spending tax money on private roads inside the gate. It also says road costs paid from the asset replacement fund were projected to push that fund into deficit as early as 2036.
The yearly limits work in both directions. They protect members from sudden jumps, and they also slow how fast a fund at 10% or 2% can catch up through its own line. The June 2026 Communique put the overall picture this way:
"For every dollar we have about 21 cents saved. When reserves fall short, the repair does not go away — it gets more expensive, and may eventually require a special assessment charged to every member lot."
The same article says inflation, insurance, labor and materials costs have risen about 40% in the DFW area since 2015, while Lake Kiowa dues have risen about 30%. The POA has made up the difference through cost control.
What Gets Decided Between Now and March
The FY2027 budget is being drafted now. The October 2026 Communique says property insurance is one of the biggest pressures on the budget, along with wages and food-and-beverage costs. It also says dues that no longer cover actual costs "would only postpone the financial impact." The July 2026 treasurer's report shows the operating fund at a year-to-date net of -$138,938, against a budgeted +$22,764. Lodge food-and-beverage expense ran $101,845 over budget, while Lodge food-and-beverage sales came in $53,984 above budget.
For anyone under contract or shopping this fall, the bylaws set the timeline:
- November Communique. The full text of a proposed member bylaw, the Lake Kiowa Preservation and Stewardship Initiative, is expected. It would require water-quality testing, make the Lake Management Committee a standing committee, and limit any boat newly brought into Lake Kiowa to 24 feet, or 26 feet for pontoons. Existing boats would be grandfathered, and ballast and wake-enhancing boats stay restricted.
- Last Monday of December, which is December 28, 2026. The Board's deadline to approve the final FY2027 budget.
- January 1, 2027. New rates take effect. If the capped portion is going to a member vote, billing temporarily uses the prior rate plus 5% and is adjusted once the vote is in.
- On or before February 1, 2027. Ballots go out if the capped portion rises more than 5%, with at least 30 days to vote.
None of the reserve lines needs that ballot to change. Within their own limits, the golf, lake and road charges can each move each year without a vote. The asset replacement charge is set in the Board's budget.
What This Changes at Closing
The initiation fee follows the dues. The 2026 figure of $4,044.24 equals 12 times $337.02, which is the bill before the road fund was added. If the formula's "applicable monthly dues" picks up the $20 road charge in 2027, 12 times $357.02 comes to $4,284.24 before any other increase. That is our arithmetic, not a published LKPOA figure. The fee schedule lists the 2026 initiation fee as up 4.7% from $3,861.72.
The resale certificate is where these numbers become official for a specific lot. The 2026 processing fee is $375, with five working days to process. A closing that falls in late December or January may straddle two fee schedules. Whether the certificate shows FY2026 or FY2027 rates depends on when it is ordered.
A Few Questions Buyers Ask
Is the Par 3 course paid for by the golf reserve? No. The Golf Course Reserve Fund is limited to the original 18-hole course and its practice areas. The bylaws exclude the Par 3 and the facilities on its 52-acre parcel. The June 2025 Communique says the Par 3 uses no POA reserve funds for maintenance.
Can the Board move reserve money to cover an operating shortfall? Restricted reserves must be spent on their stated purpose. The October 2026 Communique says road reserve dollars "are locked in for roads — not the golf course, not the lake."
How many members fall behind on payments? The Q2 2026 scorecard shows a delinquency rate of 2.5%, below the association's 3% target.
This is general information drawn from LKPOA's published documents, not financial or legal advice.
If you're weighing a Lake Kiowa offer this fall, it helps to read the fee schedule, the treasurer's report and the resale certificate together before you sign. Lake & Country Realty can walk you through those documents line by line and time your closing around the December budget. Talk to a Lake & Ranch Specialist.
