Flood insurance, property tax reform dominate conversation at PAR meetings

The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors® (PAR) held its board of directors meeting on Wednesday in Harrisburg.

The meeting was presided over by PAR’s 2014 officers. President Kim Skumanick announced the creation of a Flood Insurance Task Force. “The task force will monitor and provide resources to PAR members regarding the National Flood Insurance Program crisis,” said Skumanick.

On Monday, Skumanick appeared before a House Democratic Policy Committee and on Tuesday before the state Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee to provide testimony about how changes to flood insurance are affecting homeowners and homebuyers.

Legislative Committee Chair Don Roth gave an update on PAR’s multi-phased property tax reform campaign. Twenty-five senators currently support the bill and it’s anticipated that the bill will move in the next several weeks. PAR’s website, RealReform76.com has had more than 19,000 visiting the site. Nearly 3,700 letters have been sent to senators and more than 400 stories about how school property taxes have adversely affect homeowners have been shared. PAR officers and staff have been working with senators as the issue continues. In addition, Chuck Liedike, RealReform 76 campaign manager, is traveling the Commonwealth speaking to groups about the merits of Senate Bill 76.

Treasurer Kathy McQuilkin reported a PAR membership growth of three percent in 2013. “As a result of that higher membership, our actual dues dollars collected in 2013 exceeded both the budget and 2012 actual,” she said. “The association and its subsidiaries had a good year in 2013.”

Pennsylvania Realtors® Political Action Committee (PA-RPAC) Chair Greg Herb reported that PAR had 8,299 PAR members invest in RPAC in 2013. “This is an election year. Every year is important to invest in RPAC but being an election year there’s a lot of support we need to provide to candidates who are friendly to our issues,” said Herb.

Herb added, “The 2014 fundraising year is well under way. Our goal this year is $550,000 and so far we raised we raised a little over $93,000. For RPAC in 2014, our participation goal is at 40 percent.”

The board also granted Realtor® Emeritus Status for 54 Realtors® throughout the state. Realtor® Emeritus Status is given to any person who has held membership in the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), for a cumulative period of 40 years.

In other business:

• Applications for the LeadershipPAR program are due March 1.
• The Shale Gas Summit will take place April 24-25 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. Information and registration will be forthcoming.