The key piece of legislation up for discussion: SB 731, which would prohibit local governments from requiring architectural design standards in residential zoning districts. All four legislators voiced their support for the bill, which was sponsored by Senator Clodfelter and passed the Senate last year. REBIC’s top legislative priority in the 2012 session, SB 731 now awaits action by the House Commerce Committee, and is expected to come up for a vote soon after the General Assembly convenes on May 16.
Other issues discussed by the panel included regulatory reform, transportation funding and rental registration programs. All four legislators agreed that the opportunity for significant progress was limited in the 2012 short session, which will likely wrap by the end of June. However, they predicted that the 2013 session, opening in January, would include comprehensive debates on tax reform, local annexation policy, and other issues that are critical to the housing and commercial real estate industries.
REBIC encourages all our members to attend one of the upcoming industry legislative conferences in Raleigh, where you can see the workings of the legislative process and talk one-on-one with some of our Mecklenburg County legislators about the issues that most impact our local economy and our industry. For more information on the dates listed below, contact your respective association.