Residents of the Twin Lakes community will soon vote on whether to double their homeowners association dues to help preserve the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club.

The country club has suffered from a lack of revenue and membership, said Scott Clement, clubhouse manager. The club is owned by its membership as well as a nine-member board of trustees, which crafted the proposal with the Twin Lakes Homeowners Association.

“It’s just sort of a move to preserve the way we do business,” Clement said of the proposal. “The main thing it would affect overall is how the club is run.”

Twin Lakes homeowners currently pay $72 every three months in HOA dues. If the proposal passes, their cost will increase by $25 per month, but homeowners will receive an expanded amenities package that includes use of the country club’s golf course, restaurant, pool, tennis court, lounge and facilities.

If the proposal doesn’t pass, the country club must re-evaluate how it operates, Clement said.

If the private country club were to close, or even open to the public, some residents fear their property values will decline. Some residents fear the golf course could be sold to developers and create a controversy similar to the one involving the North Shore Golf Course in Northeast Tacoma.

“It may take saving the club to save the neighborhood,” said Twin Lakes resident Dave McKenzie, speaking on behalf of HOA president Tom Moehlman.

McKenzie, a former member of the HOA’s board of directors, said the increased HOA dues are a small price to pay in order to maintain quality of life in Twin Lakes. His family has held a social membership with the country club, and he said the amenities offered in the proposal are a bargain.

“If this gets voted down, and we lose the golf course, our home values are going to plummet — again,” he said. “I see nothing good coming from this getting defeated.”

Twin Lakes resident Arthur Hopkins does not use the country club or the golf course, and opposes an increase in his HOA dues.

“I don’t see that it’s in my family’s self-interest at all,” Hopkins said, frustrated that 10 percent of residents are capable of passing this proposal for the entire neighborhood.

Although the country club is struggling financially, “I don’t see how that’s particularly my problem,” Hopkins said. “I’m not a member there. I have no interest in playing golf, or anything else about the country club.”

Town hall meetings will be held 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 and Dec. 1 at the club’s banquet room to discuss the proposal. Residents of the community of about 1,350 homes will vote on the proposal at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at Twin Lakes Elementary School. At least 10 percent of residents must be present in person or by proxy in order to have a quorum and hold a vote.

To learn more, visit www.twinlakeshoa.com or call (253) 838-0464.