By Fred Seely

Editor

The coming session of Florida’s legislature doesn’t appear to have major issues for the real estate or construction industries, but that doesn’t mean that the industries won’t be watching.

Influential teams of lobbyists from Florida Realtors and the Florida Home Builders Association - helped by people on the local levels - will have their collective eyes at every bit of proposed legislation. If something appears to affect the industries, they’ll follow it through the committee process and do everything to make sure the end product is favorable.

There certainly will be debate on a bill that changes property insurance, and also on the amendment that would cap the homestead property rate. Every legislator has already prefiled their bills for the upcoming session, which starts the first week in March, but that doesn’t preclude something getting added to a bill.

But not all the watching is done by Tallahassee eyes.

Nancy Garcia has headed NEFAR’s government affairs department for the past 11 years and it’s her job to keep the association informed of the state’s work and to be a watchdog on local issues.

“We stay in close touch with the state people and pass that information along,” she said. “In most cases, our board goes along with Florida Realtors’ legislative program, so we rely on them to serve as our lobbyist. After all, if you’re a member of NEFAR, you’re also a member of Florida Realtors. On the rare occasion that we disagree, we try and work things out.”

Garcia stays close to this area’s legislators, particularly those who are very close to the industry such as Jacksonville Reps. Audrey Gibson and Charles McBurney.

She makes sure that all elected officials are aware of NEFAR’s wish list and her batting average of success would make any major league baseball player envious.

While she’s the lead worker most of the year, she gets an enormous boost when the state’s Realtors gather for what’s now called “Great American Realtor Days.” That’s when people from all over Florida descend on Tallahassee to personally carry their messages to their legislators in a show of force that shows just how many votes are behind those programs.

This year’s event is April 6-7 and many from this area will be part of a caravan of buses leaving from NEFAR’s main office in late morning Tuesday. There’s a legislative briefing and a reception for legislators later that day. On Wednesday, the group splits into teams for personal meetings with legislators and staff.