REALTORS® in Action provides you with the latest news in Government Affairs at the Lehigh Valley Association of REALTORS®. Keep checking back for updated information, and view prior months Action by clicking on any of the links to the left. 6.29.07   PAR CAPITOL BRIEFS Welcome to the Capitol Briefs. This legislative summary is brought to you by the PAR Department of Government Affairs. The Briefs give an abstract of the actions occurring in the General Assembly that impact REALTORS® and the real estate industry. The Capitol Briefs is available for viewing on the PAR website. This edition of the Capitol Briefs includes: Local Option RTT Pulled from Transportation Funding Bill Legislator Introduces Legislation to Impose County RTT Senate Seeks Funding for Hazardous Sites Cleanup RELRA Time Share Amendment Passes Senate Lease Taxation Clarified by Browne Legislation Governor to Consider Landowner Liability Legislation Governor Signs UCC Anchor-Bolt Fix If you cannot enter the page as provided, go to http://www.PARealtor.org - click on Legislative & Regulatory, then Current Legislative Initiatives, and then Capitol Briefs. 6.20.07   LVAR Call-to-Action: Vote NO Transfer Tax Increase! The Pennsylvania General Assembly is currently examining options to fund the Commonwealth’s ailing mass transit systems. One option is to increase the statewide realty transfer tax (RTT) from 1.0% to 1.9%, with the additional 0.9% dedicated to mass transit funding. Another option is to give county governments the authority to increase the local RTT and dedicate the additional percentage to mass transit. On June 20, the House Transportation Committee passed House Bill 1590. This bill would give Lehigh and Northampton County the ability to increase the transfer tax! It is imperative that REALTORS® TAKE ACTION NOW!Contact your Representative and tell them to VOTE NO to any provision that includes RTT as a state or local funding option. A county RTT is a NEW TAX on the citizens of Pennsylvania! PAR Announces Website to Fight Transfer Tax The Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® (PAR) announces a new website, http://www.votenoonrtt.com/, established to fight any increase in the state or local Realty Transfer Tax (RTT). The website was designed to help consumers and legislators learn valuable information regarding the RTT. On the site, you can: Learn how an increase in the state or local RTT damages the American dream of home ownership; Read a report by the Susquehanna Valley Center for Public Policy which concludes an increase in the RTT costs Pennsylvania family-sustaining jobs in the construction and real estate industries; Read the 2007 statewide poll that shows that 80% of Pennsylvanians oppose any increase in the RTT. REALTORS® are encouraged to advertise the website, http://www.votenoonrtt.com/, to consumers to help them understand the disastrous effects of any increase in the statewide or local RTT.   6.12.07   NORTHAMPTON COUNTY COUNCILWOMAN DIANE NEIPER MEETS WITH LVAR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE   Shown above (from left to right) – Sam Ruta, Bruce Stimmel, David Uecker, Tiffany Hayward, Councilwoman Diane Neiper, Luis Campos, Tom Flad, Bill Kuklinski.   The LVAR Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is continuing to work on establishing an open dialogue and building strong relationships with elected officials across the Lehigh Valley. This month’s Roundtable Series featured Diane Neiper (D), Vice President of the Northampton County Council. Councilwoman Neiper discussed a number of issues facing the County Council, including reassessment, dealing with the overcrowded prison, and open space preservation. She welcomed the invitation to participate in the Roundtable series and encouraged REALTORS® to be a part of the public policy dialogue, especially as the reassessment debate continues to heat up. Councilwoman Neiper has been on the County Council for the last two years and is a retired teacher. The Roundtable Series serve as a forum for local elected officials to share with our members’ first-hand information on ongoing economic development and revitalization projects, local politics, and other real estate related matters in their respective jurisdictions. The meetings also serve as an opportunity for REALTORS® to show elected officials that we are organized and interested in the being a part of the public policy making process. By cultivating meaningful relationships, REALTORS® have the opportunity to build vibrant, safe and livable communities in partnership with elected officials. REALTORS® also can shape the debate on the many issues impacting their business.