SUNRIVER – Homeowners in Sunriver have until noon on July 29 to decide on a $10-per-month fee increase and to choose three candidates for the Sunriver Owners Association Board of Directors.

The fee would raise the monthly rate to $51 to cover maintenance expenses.

The candidates – Sunriver residents Doris Brannan, Ron Day and Wayne Thomas – will replace three outgoing members of the board if they are elected by a simple majority.

The board currently has nine, part-time members who serve three-year terms on a volunteer basis.

Anybody can run, provided he or she is a homeowner in this small community of 1,500 south of Bend.

Sunriver can skyrocket up to 12,000 in the summer and on major holidays with the combination of tourists and homeowners, according to the association.

About 1,850 ballots have been returned so far, said Brooke Snavely, communications director for the association. That is about 44 percent of the 4,200 ballots mailed on June 29.

”Believe me, it’s quite a process,” said Sid Caba, a member of the Sunriver Owners Association Nominating Committee that picks candidates each year for the typically noncompetitive elections. ”We try to get a broad background – part-time residents, those that rent their homes – so that they’re not coming from one facet of Sunriver.”

Brannan, 69, works part time as an administrative assistant for Sunriver Christian Fellowship. She is married, has three children and is on the Sunriver Owners Association Parks and Recreation Committee.

An eight-year, full-time resident, Brannan said she chose to run for the board because she enjoys participating in Sunriver’s issues, which range from updating parks to dressing rooms.

”I’ve been very active,” Brannan said. ”I’m very interested in the things going on in Sunriver, and that’s why I decided to be a candidate.”

Ron Day, 64, is a retired financial service manager who was self-employed for 15 years. His wife is deceased, and he has three children. Day has served on the Sunriver Owners Association Design Committee for five years.

A seven-year, full-time resident, Day said he chose to run for the board because he enjoys the area and wants to aid its future.

”I’m just doing this because I love the place,” Day said. ”With the growth in Central Oregon and other resort communities going in, I think there’s an enormous advantage to communities like Sunriver.”

Wayne Thomas, who could not be reached for comment, runs a small remodeling business, according to Snavely. He is married and has lived full time in Sunriver for about four years.

Aside from these three candidates, Sunriver homeowners will also vote on a fee increase of $10 per month.

Because of increased costs related to general liability, health insurance premiums and other issues, the association decided to ask voters for a fee hike.

Members held several meetings this summer explaining the fees. The first meeting on June 29 drew about half a dozen people, followed by two more meetings on July 1 and July 14.

Some residents favored the fee increase, but part-time resident Rick Wilson said it wouldn’t be worth the extra money because he only lives in Sunriver once or twice a year.

About 80 percent of homeowners don’t actually live in Sunriver, according to Snavely.

”I only get here once a year, so it’s not something I’d be inclined to do,” Wilson said.

For more information on the ballot, residents can call 593-2411 or visit www.sunriverowners.org.