Tradition CDD fees in Port St. Lucie, explained

Lake Tradition and clock tower at twilight in Tradition, Port St. Lucie, Florida


Most Tradition homes pay a CDD assessment on the St. Lucie County tax bill on top of HOA dues. For fiscal 2026-27, single-family O&M is $439.51 to $967.80 in Tradition CDDs 1-11 and $178.95 in Southern Grove, plus bond debt that varies by lot.

Last updated: November 9, 2026

When buyers compare a home in Tradition with one in an older Port St. Lucie neighborhood, the monthly payment is where the surprise usually shows up. The listing shows an HOA figure. The CDD lives somewhere else, on the property tax bill, and it can add several hundred to more than a thousand dollars a year.

I’ve spent 17 years helping buyers and sellers from the Treasure Coast through Palm Beach County, and the CDD is one of the first things I check on any Tradition home. Here is the plain version, built from the districts’ own budget documents.

Key takeaways

  • A CDD is a local special-purpose government. It is not your HOA, and you can’t opt out of it.
  • CDD charges come in two parts: operations and maintenance (O&M), and debt service on bonds that paid for roads, drainage, utilities and similar work.
  • Both parts appear as non-ad valorem lines on your St. Lucie County property tax bill, so they’re often paid through your mortgage escrow.
  • Tradition has two groups of districts. Tradition CDDs 1 through 11 and Southern Grove CDDs 1 through 10 publish separate budgets with different rates.
  • Debt service depends on the specific neighborhood, phase and lot size. Pull the actual tax bill for the address.
  • Your HOA dues are a separate bill. Get the HOA disclosure summary and an estoppel certificate before closing.

What is a CDD in Tradition?

Tradition Community Development District 1 describes itself as an independent special taxing district created under Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes. It plans, finances, builds, runs and maintains public infrastructure in a planned community. A five-member board of supervisors governs it, and the board hires a district manager.

The district’s FAQ puts the trade-off simply. Instead of building the cost of roads, stormwater systems, utilities, landscaping and similar work into the price of each new home, the district finances it with bonds and spreads the cost over the life of those bonds. You pay your share while you own the home.

Tradition CDD 1 was established on November 1, 2001, by City of Port St. Lucie Ordinance 01-010, according to the district’s site. Its fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30.

What’s the difference between a CDD and an HOA?

This is the part I walk every Tradition buyer through.

CDD HOA
What it is A unit of local government under Chapter 190 A private association created by recorded covenants
Who governs it An elected five-member board of supervisors A board elected by the owners under the association documents
How you pay Non-ad valorem lines on your county tax bill, usually once a year A separate bill from the association, monthly or quarterly
What it pays for Public infrastructure and its upkeep: lakes and stormwater, landscaping, streetlights, sidewalks, irrigation, and bond payments Whatever the association documents assign to it, often private amenities and common areas
Where to find the number The district budget and the tax bill for the parcel The HOA disclosure summary and an estoppel certificate

How much are CDD fees in Tradition?

There are two layers: O&M, which every parcel in a district pays, and debt service, which depends on which bonds cover your lot.

Tradition CDDs 1 through 11

The Tradition CDDs 1-11 final budget for fiscal 2026-27 sets these O&M assessments:

District Single-family, FY 2025-26 Single-family, FY 2026-27 Multi-family, FY 2026-27
CDD 1 and 2 $562.50 $560.85 $280.42
CDD 3, 4, 5 and 6 $455.16 $439.51 $219.76
CDD 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 $969.46 $967.80 $423.23

So a single-family home in CDD 7 through 11 pays $967.80 a year for O&M, or about $80.65 a month, before any debt service.

The same budget lists three bond series for these districts:

  • Series 2014: originally $53,170,000, maturing May 2035. The budget shows $715.89 per single-family unit for this series, grossed up per the district’s methodology.
  • Series 2021: originally $17,755,000, maturing May 2052.
  • Series 2025: originally $16,595,000, maturing May 2056, with principal payments beginning May 2027.

Which series applies to your lot depends on where it sits. The tax bill and the district office are the sources for that, not a listing sheet.

Southern Grove CDDs 1 through 10

Several newer Tradition-branded neighborhoods sit in the Southern Grove districts. Their fiscal 2026-27 final budget sets single-family O&M at $178.95 a year, down from $180.87.

Debt service is listed by neighborhood, phase and lot size band. Across the 32 single-family lines, it runs from $466.79 to $754.31 a year. A few examples of the estimated gross annual debt service per single-family unit:

Neighborhood as listed in the budget Smaller lot band Next lot band
Del Webb @ Tradition (Phases 1 and 2) $466.79 $516.27
Heron Preserve $499.95 $560.55
Heron Preserve, Phase 2 $477.11 $535.09
Kenley, Plat 1 $624.06 $699.42
Telaro, Plat 2 $622.10 $698.10
GRBK GHO Belterra, Phase 1 $536.67 $580.43

The budget labels the bands “SF 55 or Less,” “SF 56-66” and “SF 67 or More.” For Belterra, the two columns above are the 56-66 and 67-or-more bands. The Southern Grove debt figures cover bond series from 2019 through 2026.

Add O&M and debt together and you get the CDD total for that lot. For example, using these budget figures, a home in the smaller lot band of Del Webb @ Tradition Phases 1 and 2 would carry $178.95 plus $466.79, or $645.74 a year in Southern Grove assessments. Always confirm the exact figure on the parcel’s tax bill.

What do Tradition CDD fees pay for?

The Tradition CDDs 1-11 budget lists the maintenance spending line by line. For fiscal 2026-27 it includes:

  • Landscaping maintenance and materials: $1,158,450
  • Irrigation water for Western Grove, a line added for CDDs 7 through 11: $1,100,565
  • Lake bank maintenance and restoration: $775,000
  • TIM operations: $414,500, which the budget notes is 50% of the annual contract
  • Lake maintenance: $315,000
  • Stormwater management: $323,500, plus a $188,900 stormwater capital reserve
  • Streetlights, sidewalk cleaning and repair, signage, and tree and plant replacement

The Western Grove irrigation line is one reason CDDs 7 through 11 carry a higher O&M rate than the older districts.

How do I find the CDD fees for a specific Tradition home?

Here is the order I use.

  1. Pull the tax bill. Look up the parcel on the St. Lucie County Tax Collector site. The CDD charges appear in the non-ad valorem section. Tradition CDD 1 says its charges show as two lines there, one for O&M and one for debt.
  2. Match it to the budget. Check the line against the current district budget. Rates are set each year, so last year’s bill can be off by a few dollars.
  3. Call the district office if anything is unclear. Tradition CDD 1’s local office is at 10821 SW Village Center Dr., Suite 203, Port St. Lucie, (772) 345-5119. The district’s site also has a payoff information request for CDD debt and assessments.
  4. Get the HOA numbers separately. Ask for the HOA disclosure summary and, before closing, the estoppel certificate.

When are Tradition CDD fees due?

They’re due with your property taxes. Tradition CDD 1’s September 30, 2025 audited financial statements say the assessment year begins October 1, discounts are available for payments through February 28, and unpaid assessments become delinquent April 1. The St. Lucie County Tax Collector bills and collects them.

If your taxes are escrowed, the district notes that your tax bill goes to your mortgage company and the CDD is paid from escrow. In that case, the CDD is part of your monthly mortgage payment even though you never see a separate bill.

What about HOA fees in Tradition?

The HOA is a separate charge. There isn’t one HOA number for all of Tradition. Dues depend on the neighborhood’s association and what its documents make it responsible for.

Florida law gives buyers two documents to work from:

  • The disclosure summary. Under Section 720.401, Florida Statutes, a buyer in an HOA community must get a disclosure summary before signing the contract. It states the current assessment amount and warns that you may also owe assessments to a special district, which in Tradition means the CDD.
  • The estoppel certificate. Under Section 720.30851, the association must issue an estoppel certificate within 10 business days of a request. It lists the regular assessment, what’s paid through, and any special assessments or other amounts owed.

Your title company usually orders the estoppel. I still read it line by line before closing.

Is the CDD disclosed when I buy a resale home?

Not on its own form. Section 190.048 requires a bold CDD disclosure right above the buyer’s signature in contracts for the initial sale of a parcel or residential unit. That covers the builder’s contract. On a resale, you rely on the tax bill, the HOA disclosure summary’s special district warning, and your own homework.

This is one reason I pull the tax bill before we write an offer in Tradition, not after.

Do CDD fees go away?

The debt portion is tied to bonds with set maturity dates, like the May 2035, 2052 and 2056 dates in the Tradition budget. The O&M portion continues because someone has to maintain the lakes, landscaping and streetlights. The Tradition CDD 1 FAQ says residents pay for district improvements only while they own the property.

How CDD fees affect what you can afford

If your taxes are escrowed, your monthly payment covers the whole tax bill, CDD lines included. Two homes at the same price can have very different monthly costs once you add CDD debt and HOA dues. Run both through the mortgage calculator with the real tax figure. If you’re new to Florida, also read my posts on St. Lucie County property taxes after Amendment 3 and filing for homestead exemption. Homestead can lower the ad valorem part of your bill. The CDD is non-ad valorem, so homestead doesn’t reduce it.

To browse neighborhoods, start with my Tradition area guide, then look at Townpark, The Lakes at Tradition and Seville at Tradition.

If you send me a Tradition address, I’ll pull the tax bill and give you the CDD and HOA numbers in one place. Call or text me at 772.475.5371.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the CDD fee in Tradition, Port St. Lucie?

For fiscal 2026-27, single-family O&M is $560.85 in Tradition CDDs 1 and 2, $439.51 in CDDs 3 through 6, and $967.80 in CDDs 7 through 11. Southern Grove districts charge $178.95. Debt service is added on top and depends on the lot.

Is the CDD fee included in my HOA dues?

No. The CDD is a government assessment billed on your St. Lucie County property tax bill. HOA dues are billed separately by the association.

How do I pay CDD fees in Tradition?

They’re collected with your property taxes by the St. Lucie County Tax Collector. If your taxes are escrowed, your lender pays them from escrow as part of your monthly mortgage payment.

Can I pay off my Tradition CDD bond?

The Tradition CDD 1 website has a payoff information request for CDD debt and assessments. Ask the district office for the current payoff figure on your parcel before you decide.

Why do some Tradition neighborhoods have higher CDD fees?

The districts have different O&M rates, and each neighborhood carries different bond debt. In the Tradition budget, CDDs 7 through 11 also pay a line for Western Grove irrigation water, which helps explain their higher rate.

Does homestead exemption lower my CDD assessment?

No. Homestead exemption reduces taxable value for ad valorem taxes. CDD charges are non-ad valorem assessments, so they aren’t based on your home’s value.

Do I get a CDD disclosure when buying a resale in Tradition?

The bold CDD disclosure in Section 190.048 applies to the initial sale. On a resale, check the tax bill and the HOA disclosure summary, which warns about special district assessments.

About the author

Jeremy Beckham is a REALTOR and SFR with NextHome Treasure Coast at 414 S Colorado Ave, Stuart. He has 17 years of experience helping buyers and sellers from Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie south through Palm Beach County. Reach him at 772.475.5371 or [email protected].

This post is general information, not legal or tax advice. Assessment rates are set each year, so confirm the figures for any parcel with the district and the St. Lucie County Tax Collector.

Sources

Featured photo: “Lake Tradition at twilight, Port St. Lucie, Florida” by Serge Yatunin, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for web.