GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS HECTOR MORALES, JR., M.P. AFF. DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS | SAN ANTONIO APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
We have just finished
the first quarter of the year and it has been a very busy and very successful one. I want to thank every one of you who has taken part in making this an amazing first quarter. Our industry has proven that we are a united profession, and we have demonstrated this very clearly to our elected representatives—which is of extreme importance if we are to keep our industry flourishing. The following expresses the busyness and the success. State Legislature The beginning of this year marked the beginning of the 83rd Texas Legislative Session in Austin; and for our industry, this means we have Legislative Day; and let me tell you, it was a huge success! Legislative Day took place on February 20th; it was the first day of Texas Apartment Association’s Legislative Conference in Austin. This day is dedicated to meeting with our state representatives and senators in the State Capitol. It’s a time to express to our elected officials our industry’s concerns and wishes; and to voice support or opposition to any legislation that is making its way through the legislative process. This day also serves as an opportunity to join other industry professionals to discuss concerns and best practices. Our San Antonio multifamily rental housing industry had the strongest showing in all of the state, we had 72 industry professionals make the trip to Austin. Everyone took part in meeting in a group setting with representatives’ offices; and, everyone had a great time, just ask anyone that went on the trip. Congress and D.C. This year’s National Apartment Association’s (NAA) annual Capitol Conference took place from March 10th to the 14th. This conference takes place in Washington, D.C. and is attended by members and affiliate staff from throughout the country. It’s a time for members and staff to connect and discuss legislative items happening locally, statewide and nationally.
SAAA had a delegation of Board Members attend the conference as well as executive director Teri Bilby and myself. We had the opportunity to meet with NAA staff and with members of the NAA Board of Directors. Further, we were successful in meeting with our San Antonio congressional representatives to discuss our industry’s concerns and interests. This was very similar to the State’s Legislative Day, but this was at the national level. These meetings also were a big success. In March I was also able to spend a few days representing SAAA and our industry in the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce’s and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s annual SA to DC trip. This is also an opportunity to meet with congressional legislators; but also with federal departments and agencies, and with presidential executive level staff. Further it’s also an opportunity to strengthen relationships with area business leaders, which is always helpful to our industry whenever we find ourselves in need of support for any of our industry’s concerns. City Council Races The San Antonio City Council Races are under way at full speed. There are several races that will be very close: District 3, District 5, and District 8. Our Government Affairs Committee interviewed candidates for each of those races and made recommendations to the SAAA Board of Directors as to which candidates would best represent our industry’s interests. The SAAA Board of Directors endorsed a candidate in each of these districts. Here are the SAAA endorsed candidates: District 3 – Leticia Ozuna; District 5 – David Medina; and District 8 – Rolando Briones. Districts 3 and 8 are poised to be very close races, so your vote will make a difference. In addition, the Board endorsed the following incumbents: District 1- Ivy Taylor; District 2- Diego Bernal; District 4- Rey Saldana; District 6- Ray Lopez; District 7- Cris Medina; District 9- Elisa Chan; and District 10Carlton Soules. Please act on your civic duty and vote; and we strongly recommend that you
seriously consider voting for those candidates/ incumbents whom our Board of Directors has endorsed. SAAA will get involved as an organization and will be recruiting association members to volunteer in these campaigns. If you’d like get involved and take part in any of these campaigns please contact me and I will make sure that you play a role in these races. A few notes: The next Political Action Committee (PAC) event will be the SAAA PAC Business Exchange and Wine Tasting, which will take place on May 14th and is open only to those who register. It’s an amazing opportunity for associate/vendor members to pitch their business in front of decision makers of owner member companies. In September we will hold our SAAA PAC Silent Auction (we brought it back this year after receiving a lot of feedback from our members) during the SAAA Expo. In October we will hold our annual David Guin Memorial Golf Tournament for SAAA PAC, stay tuned for details on that fun-filled and fabulous event. Please keep checking the Government Affairs section of our website www.saaaonline.org for upcoming events, current affairs and issues of interest to our industry. As always, my door is open to everyone if I can help with any concerns or if you have ideas you would like to share.
www.saaaonline.org | May/June 2013
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