Oak Hills Neighborhood Association Lists $150 Voluntary Dues for 2026, Says Members Maintain 30 Acres of Greenbelts

OAK HILLS, Monterey County — October 30, 2026. Two financial arrangements affecting Oak Hills residents are easy to confuse: a voluntary neighborhood association membership and county-administered property assessments for public services. The independent Oak Hills Neighborhood Association (OHNA) currently advertises $150 in annual dues and says its volunteers and member contributions help care for more than 30 acres of open space and neighborhood greenbelts. Those association dues should not be presented as a newly approved government tax or as a legally mandatory payment by every Oak Hills property owner.

The association’s own About Us page describes it as a voluntary mutual-benefit neighborhood organization covering the original Oak Hills development east of Cathedral Oak Road. The community also has a separate subdivision area to the west. A household receiving an annual county tax bill or living near an Oak Hills street sign should not assume it belongs to the voluntary association’s area or that the same board governs both sides.

What does the association say residents pay?

On its homepage, as checked October 30, OHNA states that annual dues are $150 and presently payable. It asks members to use its published telephone contact to arrange Zelle payments, says Venmo is no longer available, and provides a mailing address for checks: P.O. Box 23, Castroville, CA 95012. This describes the association’s payment instructions; California58 has not audited individual payments or verified a particular household’s balance.

The association says it has approximately 170 dues-paying members and describes its original section of Oak Hills as a community of more than 300 homes. It separately estimates that 45% of the community does not participate. These numbers are the association’s own estimates and may refer to different counting periods or categories; they should not be interpreted as a verified delinquency rate, evidence that anyone violated an HOA covenant, or a precise current tally of taxable parcels.

What community spaces are maintained?

OHNA says it helps maintain the area’s greenbelts and park spaces, including more than 30 acres of open space. The association’s website contains photographs and dated accounts of previous brush trimming, tree removal, playground improvements, goat-based vegetation management and community events. Its homepage documents a 2025 goat grazing project and an earlier 2024 tree-trimming effort, along with volunteers clearing drainage ditches and improving park spaces. Those historic activity records do not establish that the same crews, equipment or projects are scheduled to operate this week.

The group describes the work as an attempt to keep shared space useful and manage vegetation, but for current fire-safe clearance requirements or removal of protected trees, owners should still follow Monterey County rules and obtain any needed permits. Association volunteers do not replace the county’s powers over public rights-of-way or assessments.

Who is responsible for the association in 2026–27?

OHNA’s website lists its 2026–27 volunteer board as president Les Wible, vice president Cheryl Brown, secretary Mindy Robinson, treasurer Paul Aguilar, and directors Art McLoughlin, Louise Iredell, Grady Kincaid, Eleonore Gutierrez and Jeanne Hayashi. These are the association’s self-published roles, not a roster of county supervisors or the official County Service Area 45 public-works advisory committee.

The difference matters because residents have at least two distinct avenues for community questions. A volunteer organization can plan neighborhood events, take donations, communicate with members and advocate for improvements. The county’s CSA 45 is a public service area with legally authorized assessment and budget procedures; those funds are handled through government processes rather than simply belonging to a neighborhood association. Some individuals may serve in more than one local organization, but that does not merge the organizations or their finances.

What about the county assessment review?

OHNA’s About Us page mentions a Proposition 218 process underway as of January 2026 concerning possible increases in direct assessments for county services, such as vegetation control. Monterey County’s own July 7, 2026 service-area tax-roll resolution separately authorized the annual levy entries for a number of service areas, including CSA 45. Neither the neighborhood’s website note nor annual county roll authorization, by itself, proves a new increased assessment has passed a Proposition 218 proceeding. California58 has covered that separate CSA 45 funding question already.

Another separate issue is the North County Recreation and Park District Measure V, a proposed $82 yearly parcel levy appearing on the November ballot in its eligible district. Measure V is neither OHNA dues nor a CSA 45 assessment. A property owner should check legal district boundaries and the specific tax-bill line instead of treating every Oak Hills parks-related request as the same charge.

How can residents get answers?

Residents interested in the voluntary association can review its official homepage and board and area description. The association lists a phone number of (831) 258-3850 and email neighbors156@gmail.com. Before sending money, verify the current dues, recipient instructions and your eligibility directly with the association, using independently confirmed contact information.

For county-assessment amounts, drainage work and public streetlight questions, use Monterey County Public Works — County Service Areas and the Board of Supervisors’ official records. A member of the public can ask the organization for its financial statements, meeting schedule and specific upkeep plans, but its voluntary status means its own communications and governance are separate from county government.

Primary sources: Oak Hills Neighborhood Association, current dues and project announcements; OHNA membership estimates, jurisdiction and 2026–27 board; Monterey County CSA directory; Board Resolution RES 26-097. Reported as association self-disclosure and government records, not independent certification of a 2026 audited membership count or mandatory fees.

Corrections: California58 Newsroom.

Featured photograph: illustrative oak tree and hillside by Spencer DeMera / Unsplash. Not a photograph of Oak Hills greenbelts, association activities or an October 2026 county project.

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