Cohousing-L Mailing List: diversity and membership start-up dues

[Tonka444 (Tonka444]

Hello--

I am a member of a relatively new cohousing group in Hartford, CT.  We are 
currently 12 households and have been meeting since July.  

Up until now there has been no membership dues but that is about to change 
and the membership committee has set up some guidelines for what they think 
would be a fair monthly dues (to cover basic expenses, no land yet). 

My group wants to attract as diverse a crowd as possible and think that this 
dues schedule should support economic diversity as well.  Anyway, this is the 
schedule proposed:

a.  Unit income up to $40,000 is charged $1.00 a meeting.
b.  Unit income from 40,001 to 80,000 is $5.00 a meeting
c.  Unit income from 80,01 to 100,000 is $20.00 a meeting
d.  Unit income over 101,000 is $30.00 a meeting.

I should add that we meet twice a month for general meetings.

I am not sure if I like this.  I would be paying 40 dollars a month while 
another household would be paying 2.  I wanted to check with the list and see 
if there was an income scale for dues in other communities or if it was just 
a flat fee a month.  

Let me add that I too want our community to be as diverse as possible.  I do 
not have a problem paying the money and frankly would put up much more but I 
feel slightly resentful of the wide gap in dues.

Two dollars a month does not seem like much of a commitment.  Any help from 
the list would be appreciated.

Shelly DeMeo
Greater Hartford Cohousing