Candlewood Shores is located on Candlewood Lake in Brookfield, Connecticut and was developed in 1948 by Ralph and Raymond Reynolds of Danbury as a private community for summer recreation.  In 1963, the Reynolds brothers offered to sell the common areas of the community to the residents but there was not enough support among the residents to complete the purchase. However, a Homeowners Association was formed.

Candlewood Shores Estates, Inc. did purchase the community, and as the community developed, water delivery became a problem, particularly at the higher elevations. Other problems included poor road maintenance and snow removal.

Concerns about community problems prompted the Homeowners Association to propose the idea of purchasing the assets of the community in 1976. The water problem was so bad by 1979 that the residents at higher elevations were without water for days at a time. Candlewood Shores Estates asked the State Department of Public Utility Control to approve a rate increase of 150%. The Homeowners Association opposed the increase because there was no assurance that the increased revenue would be used to improve the water system.

In 1981, Candlewood Shores Estates declared bankruptcy.  The Homeowners Association created a defense fund to make sure that necessary maintenance could be performed.

In 1982, the community met and voted to create a Tax District according to the State Statues.  The first focus of the Candlewood Shores Tax District was to acquire control of the community assets: the beach, the ball field, the roads and the water system.  The only way to achieve this goal was to own the property.

On August 2, 1986 , the Tax District succeeded in purchasing the community from Candlewood Shores Estates.  A portion of revenue from your annual tax bill and water bill was used to pay off the debt incurred to obtain the funds for the purchase. The debt was totally repaid in 2002.

Once the Tax District owned the property, a staff was required to carry out the needed improvements and the maintenance.  We are most fortunate to have Don Springmeyer as our General Manager and Pat Lund as Tax Collector and Office Administrator. The tax revenue received from you and all the other Candlewood Shores residents pays for the day to day running of the water company, the maintenance of the roads, the ball field and beach and the various programs offered to all tax district residents.

All decisions concerning revenue and expenditures are voted on by the property owners at the annual meeting conducted on the third Saturday of May each year.  Public comments by letter or at the monthly board meeting (the third Wednesday of each month) are always welcome.  Budget hearings are held. Details are published in the newsletter in the months prior to the annual meeting.

A nine member Board of Directors governs the Tax District. The Board is elected each year at the annual meeting.  If you are interested in using your talents as a volunteer or future Board Member, please contact the Chairman of the Nominating Committee whose name is available at the office.  

Our phone number is 775-1172, and our email address is info@candlewoodshores.com