Advocacy, Issues & Elections

June, 2014

To be successful, you need to be heard. That’s why we advocate for local business at the city, county, regional and state levels. Working through our Business Issues Committee, we develop relationships with elected officials at all levels and are willing to take a stand on issues that impact businesses in Flagler County. While most of our work is local, we also partner with the Florida Chamber and the Northeast Florida Chamber Coalition, to develop and support an annual advocacy agenda on regional, state and federal issues.

Taking positions and advocating for business-friendly practices creates value for our members. This is a reason why we team up with the Flagler County Home Builders Association and the Flagler County Association of Realtors to host nonpartisan and nonbiased candidate forums each election season. Though we don’t endorse candidates as a chamber, Flagler Votes forums benefit candidates and guests alike. Candidates answer tough, business-related questions, share their ideas and talk about why they are qualified to hold office. Residents and chamber members benefit too, by learning where candidates stand on important issues. This encourages informed decisions at the polls.

Two Flagler Votes forums are scheduled between now and Election Day: August 4 for the primary and October 14 for the general election. Both will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn starting at 6PM, and all candidates will be invited to attend.

The first forum, Monday, August 4, begins with a casual social in the Hilton’s bar at 5PM so guests can meet candidates informally. Cash bar and light snacks will be available. The actual forum begins at 6PM with candidates participating in primary elections for Flagler County Commission, Flagler County School Board, Palm Coast City Commission and Flagler County Circuit Court.

The second forum will be Tuesday, October 14 at the Hilton with a similar format. This program will include candidates for Flagler County Commission, Flagler County School Board, Palm Coast City Commission, State Senate, US House of Representatives and Flagler County Circuit Court.

An experienced committee prepares the format for and questions to be asked during the forums. Members sign a confidentiality agreement and questions are never shared with candidates in advance. Two committee members select the final questions and keep them confidential until the event. Doing so ensures a level playing field for all candidates. David Ayres from WNZF News Radio will be moderator.

The forums are free and open to the public. I hope you’ll join us for one or both.

What Does "Sine Die" Mean Again?

May, 2014

I followed the Legislative Session in Tallahassee closely this year before it adjourned on May 2. It was the first time I’d really paid attention to state politics in a while and getting re-acquainted with it was fun. In college, I was a political science major and did some public affairs work for a PR agency in North Carolina. That was, however, years ago, so there’s been a lot I’ve had to learn and re-learn. Thanks to streaming broadcasts of House or Senate sessions, weekly legislative update calls with the Florida Chamber, and frequently asked question pages, I made it through session and got up to speed quickly. One of many things I learned is the meaning of Sine Die, which is Latin for “without day.” For a legislative body, to adjourn sine die means to adjourn without appointing a day on which to assemble again. When legislators say “Happy Sine Die” at the end of session, it’s almost like saying “mission accomplished” as they leave Tallahassee and head back home.

A total of 1879 bills were filed this session: 931 in the Senate and 948 in the House. Of these, 264 bills passed, along with 11 Constitutional amendments. Both the number of bills filed and the number of bills passed were 22 and 23 percent lower than the 10-year averages. This wasn’t surprising for an election year, especially if you factor in the GOP-controlled legislature’s reluctance to send Gov. Scott bills that might hamper his chances of re-election.

Some of our legislative priorities were addressed this session, including returning short-term vacation rentals to home rule. We appreciate Rep. Hutson and Sen. Thrasher for their hard work getting this legislation through the House and Senate. Another bill, SB 176, which reduced sales tax on commercial leases, was expected to be part of Gov. Scott’s Tax Cut Agenda, but didn’t make the cut. This will remain one of our priorities in 2015 since Florida is the only state that charges sales tax on commercial leases and reducing the tax will make it more affordable for businesses to lease space.

With the session behind us, our focus turns to the primary and general election. We’ll host two forums this year to increase voter education and encourage participation. As a reminder, we don’t and won’t support candidates or political parties. Stay tuned for more information about these Flagler Votes Forums and, as always, please call if you need my help, 386-437-0106.

Flagler Day in Tallahassee

April, 2014

On April 8, 22 guests boarded a luxury motor coach (provided by A Candies Motor Coaches) headed to Tallahassee. Despite a slow start and inclement weather, spirits were high, as were intentions for the day, the first official Flagler Day sponsored the Flagler County Chamber. The goal of the trip: to help Flagler County lobby for three specific initiatives and to demonstrate that Flagler County is open for business.

Having just completed my sixth month as Government Affairs director, I was a bit nervous about pulling together a trip like this and making sure it was a good use of time for all of our guests. I’d only been to the Capitol twice myself so I reached out to Representative Travis Hutson’s office for assistance. I can’t thank Executive District Secretary Danielle Curbow enough for her hard work in putting together an impressive line up of legislative appointments for us. Tallahassee is definitely one of those places where it helps knowing people to get in the door, and I’m sure that it would have been difficult, if not almost impossible to get appointments with some of the representatives we met with without her assistance. Hats off to Danielle, Representative Hutson, Jennifer Lubi and Matt Kaufman for welcoming us and making our trip even more productive.

Flagler County staff also played an important role in helping us plan our trip to Tallahassee. County Attorney Al Hadeed, Commissioner Frank Meeker, Commissioner Nate McLaughlin and other staff prepared supplemental schedules for us, as well as background information on legislators and leave-behinds for meetings. Planning for Flagler Day was collaborative effort and we are grateful for all the effort that went into it.

After a four-hour trip to Tallahassee, our first stop was the Florida Chamber, where we met with Greg Blosé, Grassroots Development and Engagement Manager. Greg has been a huge help to our chamber, particularly in rolling out our government relations program and keeping us up-to-date on legislation that affects our organization and members. During this meeting, Greg gave a brief overview of the Florida Chamber’s legislative agenda, answered questions about issues and helped set the stage for the rest of the visit.

Our next stop was the Capitol for lunch with Representative Hutson in the House Majority Office’s conference room. Lunch was brought in from Chick-Fil-A (a treat for many of us) and while there we heard from a steady stream of legislators (nine in total) who visited as we ate, listened and asked questions. After lunch, we had scheduled appointments with five more representatives, as well as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Adam Putnam, and Senator John Thrasher. All in all a very busy day!

Following the meetings with elected officials, we reboarded the bus for the long trip home. Judging from the positive feedback we’ve received since then, guests enjoyed themselves, learned more about the legislative process and did a great job of representing our community and its interests. Again, the success of the trip was thanks to many, from Candies Motorcoach for giving us a great price on the bus rental and Dunkin Donuts for graciously donating the “fuel” to start the day (bagels, donuts and coffee), to our participants, Representative Hutson and staff, and Flagler County staff and officials. Thank you for helping us show that Flagler County and its business community cares and that our county is truly “open for business.” We’ll be back next year!