public policy Montgomery County
District of Columbia
Councilmember Nancy Floreen Eric Goulet Speaks at DCAR DC Budget Director and Deputy Speaks at GCAAR
GCAAR continued its “Politically Speaking Series” on March 19 with Councilmember Nancy Floreen (D - At-large) briefing the Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Public Policy Committee and GCAAR Board members on Floreen (left) with GCAAR Public Policy the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite. Chair, Elley Kott. She discussed how the changes will simplify and streamline the zoning process for both residential and commercial development. All current buildings will be grandfathered and legal under the new regulations. Residential homeowners will now be able to search online by address to see the current zoning of their property at www.mcatlas.org.
Chief of Staff, Eric Goulet, paid DCAR a visit in February to discuss the District’s financial well-being and outlook. DC’s handling of sequestration and the federal government shutdown were covered in great detail.
Mr. Goulet candidly answered questions and reassured attendees that the District’s budget plan is in good hands.
GCAAR understands the importance of affordable housing and supports practical approaches to maintaining housing choices for all County residents.
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Capital Area REALTOR® • Mar/Apr 2014
The “Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act” repeals the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) authority to increase premium rates at time of sale or new flood map, and refunds the excessive premium to those who bought a property before FEMA warned them of the rate increase. The bill limits increases to 18% annually on newer properties and 25% for some older ones. It adds a small assessment on policies until everyone is paying full cost for flood insurance.
DCAR CEO Ed Krauze, 2014 DCAR President-Elect Ed Wood, DCAR President Bonnie Roberts-Burke, NAR VP of Political Programs Scott Reiter, and NAR Political Representatives Shannon Burke, Karl Eckhart, and Chris Gosselin.
bring together REALTORS® and government officials who directly affect the real estate business. All upcoming DCAR Speaker Series can be found at www.dcrealtors.org.
Thanks
to EVERYONE who took the time to respond to NAR’s multiple Calls For Action! Without your efforts, flood insurance rates could have sky rocketed leaving millions of homeowners uninsured.
zoning corner
DC Mayor’s Budget Director and Deputy Chief of Staff Eric Goulet, 2014 DCAR President Bonnie Roberts-Burke, and 2013 DCAR Past President Ed Downs.
Affordable Housing Remains a Top Priority
A new property tax credit proposal for senior citizens of limited income would double the amount of each year’s property tax credit. The credit would increase from 25% to 50% of the State and County Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit awarded in that year. The legislation is expected to move forward this spring.
After months of advocacy, NAR Calls For Action and federal government agency engagement, Congress passed legislation that will keep flood insurance affordable for homeowners across the country.
DCAR’s Speaker Series aims to
Floreen served as Council President in 2010 and currently chairs the Council’s Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) Committee.
The County’s 2015 Capital Improvement Budget continues key investments made to provide more housing choices for residents of low and moderate means. Housing developers may also see more incentives encouraging building a wider-range of affordable housing units, including those with two or three bedrooms.
Flood Insurance Passes
“The city is in good financial health today,” Goulet said. “When I walked in on my first day on the job, the City was facing a $322 million gap between the base-line budget and its revenue. Today the gap between the base-line budget and revenue is only two million dollars.”
Attendees also asked questions on the role REALTORS® can play in the legislative process. Floreen expressed her appreciation for the hard work REALTORS® invest in their communities and her willingness to continue working with GCAAR.
GCAAR is proud to have a solid working relationship with the Montgomery County Council. We encourage all members to voice their ideas on any legislative or public policy issue with our Government staff at mdlegislative@gcaar.com.
on the Hill
NAR’s Government Affairs Team Briefs DC REALTORS®
DCAR’s March Speaker Series featured NAR staff for a “Federal Issues Briefing.” Topics included the passing of NAR supported flood insurance legislation (more on page 27), possible comprehensive tax code reform ideas (including real estate related provisions), and the secondary mortgage market. The team highlighted NAR’s perseverance which helped move flood insurance legislation forward. They also touched on the Senate Banking Committee’s suggestion to “wind down” Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. NAR supports the continuation of the two entities to ensure the housing market’s recovery stays on track. The team applauded DC’s representative Eleanor Holmes Norton for her fierce defense of the real estate business in the District.
Montgomery County Passes Ordinance Rewrite After years of research, public hearings, and review, the Montgomery County Council approved the first major update to the County Zoning Ordinance since 1978. The changes are aimed at providing clarity and greater flexibility for development. GCAAR submitted testimony on key issues including: • Increasing public benefit points for developers that provide more affordable housing units • Protecting the character of residential neighborhoods while encouraging transit-oriented and mixed-use development • Giving property owners flexibility in applying for reasonable zoning exceptions The rewrite is expected to become effective October 30, 2014 after the Council approves an amended zoning map. GCAAR is working with Council staff on resource materials detailing how the changes will directly affect REALTORS® — keep an eye out!
Capital Area REALTOR® • Mar/Apr 2014
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