by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Daniel Davis, Northeast Florida Builders Association executive director and a state representative, finished his first legislative session in May. Davis, a Republican, represents District 13 and was appointed to role last year following then-State Rep. Jennifer Carroll’s departure to become Gov. Rick Scott’s lieutenant governor. His district encompasses parts of Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties.
Back in Jacksonville, Davis recently sat down with Realty/Builder Connection to discuss how his first session went, how the industry fared and what’s next on both a personal and professional level.
How did your first session go?
It was a great learning experience.
How so?
The issues on a city level and on a state level are very different. You go from making sure we have proper police coverage and fire stations to understanding the global insurance environment for the state of Florida. I spent a lot of time studying and receiving a lot of good input and wise counsel on all the different issues and tried to make as many business-wise decisions as I could.
Was it tough making the transition from local to state?
I don’t think tough is the right word. I think challenging is the right word. And I enjoy a good challenge.
Now that you’ve gone through your first one, will the next be easier?
Absolutely. I think the first go-round you try to make sure you’re making prudent decisions while learning the whole time. But the more you learn, the more you can get into the policy-making decisions.
You mentioned you sought advice. Who did you lean on for counsel?
I think my colleagues were great resources. The Duval Delegation members took me under their wing and wanted to make sure they helped my freshman year be successful.
Was it tough to balance your role at NEFBA and your role in Legislature during the session?
If we didn’t have exceptional employees at the association it would have been extremely difficult. They made the transition very smooth.
How do you think the budget went?
The truth is it was time to pay the piper. We couldn’t pass the buck. We had to make the tough decisions and I think we did. Nobody wanted to make the difficult choices but there wasn’t much of a choice and we did. We made tough decisions and I think the state will be better for it.
As a freshman, it’s been said it can be difficult to get bills passed. Is there anything you were able to accomplish that you’re pleased with?
We passed four bills. I mean, for a freshman, that’s pretty good. I think the building code bill was very important. I believe the privatization of certifications for child welfare workers saved the state about $1.4 million in returning dollars every year. There is an educational issue we were able to tack on State Rep. Janet Adkins’ bill is going to help children have cochlear implants and it’s going to end up saving the state millions of dollars throughout the years. I’m pretty excited about where we were and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next year.
Were there any disappointments with measures you pitched that didn’t get taken up?
Legislatively, if you don’t pass every bill you introduce it’s going to be difficult. By nature, I’m very competitive and I want to win every one of them. But, I know realistically that’s not going to happen. If we swing for the fences, though, hopefully we hit some really good singles and doubles.
Any individual issues and will you pitch them again next year?
I think that permitting is very important for us to continue focusing on to streamline the process. We introduced legislation this year that would help local municipalities and local business people to get an answer quicker and help them make good business decisions.
Regulations. Where are they at in terms of how the session went?
We passed the Growth Management bill that I think streamlines a lot of the decision making process. I think it was a good bill, but I think more needs to be done. When someone can go to Georgia and start their project in six weeks and they come to Florida and have to wait 24 months, to me, that’s inappropriate and puts us at a disadvantage. We need to try to fix that.
Overall, how would you say the real estate and homebuilding industries fared during the session?
I think the real estate industry had one of the best sessions I have seen in my 12 years here at NEFBA.
How so?
I think we’re working through the mess we’ve had over the last several years. We’ve got a government in place that wants to make it easier for them to business, not harder. I’m optimistic about the diversification of our economy. I’m optimistic about the future of the port. I think we steady growth in our future.
Is it possible to put a timeline on the rebound?
I think almost everybody is sick and tired of hearing ‘when’ and economist’s projections. I have been through the entire thing starting in 2005 and heard every year when it was going to turn around. What I think we need to do is just be steady and consistent and we’ll see things moving in the right direction.
Now that session is over, what’s next for you in your legislative role?
I think the best thing I can do as a part-time legislator is to make sure the economy is working in my home district and that’s what I’m going to do.
And your role as NEFBA executive director?
As an association, we have got to continue pushing at the local level the red tape that burdens people from achieving the American Dream of home ownership. And we’re doing that every day.
What can local government do to help the industry?
I think local government can help the industry by getting out of the way. By making prudent decisions that are not politically motivated.
Is there anything from your time in Tallahassee that people in the industry should be optimistic about?
I’m optimistic about the relationship with NEFAR. They were out in Tallahassee and we had really good discussions. I am pleased the relationship between Realtors and builders is so strong right now. Many times when you have a stressful situation you either grow stronger or fall apart. I think we’re seeing both associations grow stronger.