Changing from Mandatory to Voluntary HOA

Does anyone have experience with petitioning to change CC&Rs to voluntary vs. mandatory HOA? Our HOA currently has the water, street lights, garbage pick-up etc. managed by the municipal utilities district (we pay monthly for water and yearly a MUD tax). The common area maintenance, pool, clubhouse and tennis courts are what we pay yearly to the HOA to maintain, but a certain special interest group that have taken over the board, treat the pool, clubhouse and tennis courts as personal and keep them controlled within their social circle and clubs, therefore excluding the other paying members (about half the assn.). I don't care to use the facilities, but would prefer not to pay for these greedy takers and their friends from outside (the people from outside pay nothing). I wouldn't mind paying my portion of the maintenance of the common areas (grass-mowing and flowers, etc.)--this would cut the costs in half.
Any suggestions?
EdR

Roger:
Of course, that's easier said than done. There are a lot of neighbors who would like to do this, but nobody wants to put in the time or effort or put up with a possible threat or assault---these swim team advocates are vicious. There are even about three on the board of nine who object to the situation but cannot do anything about it. The directors complained that the swim team had an end-of-year party, shut the pool down to the members in the middle of a swim evening, and didn't allow members, much less invite members or board to the party--the swim team consists of over 1/3 from outside of the association who pay nothing but cause additional wear and tear to the pool. The struggle has been going on for about 10 years--since a couple moved into the assn. who feel that they have exclusive over the assn. amenities. The husband was on the board for a term, but found that most of what he did was a conflict of interest. He got off the board so that his wife could be pres. of the swim team. They even put a new padlock on a storage shed in the vicinity of the pool to store swim team equipment, etc., and locked the homeowners out of their own facilities and refused to give the board a key. Since the management company donates money to the swim team, neither will tell the other they are wrong in allowing all of this. I'm afraid it's a no win situation, plus, a lot of homeowners, especially new comers, have no clue what is going on. Any other ideas, Roger?
EdR

Ed, you need a hero!
Sorry I can not oblige.

I was president of an HOA in Alief, TX area and helped get a pool built. But I like Denver better than Houston and not interested in moving back. Otherwise, I would come down there, you could get on the Board and hire DARCO, and together we would kick some a$$