NEFAR sizes up First Coast candidates

Realty Builder

By Carole Hawkins, Staff Writer

Strong economies, better schools and policies that support property ownership are what win votes from the Realtor community in Northeast Florida.

Candidates pitched their platforms this summer at NEFAR’s candidate screening sessions, designed to test who best serves Realtors’ interests. The sessions are confidential.

But committee members shared generally what was on the Realtors’ minds:

• Budgeting: “We look at how they approach creating a budget. In general, the Realtor community is better able to afford a sales tax approach to raising revenue versus a millage rate or an impact fee or stamp tax.” — Nancy Garcia, NEFAR’s Government Affairs director

• Improving schools: “We try to decide if this person has ideas and a vision, or are they more about keeping the status quo. Quality schools have a huge impact on the value of homes.” — Nancy Garcia, NEFAR’s Government Affairs director

• Growth and home ownership: “Realtors are interested in anything that has to do with local growth and things that impact that, like homeowners’ insurance availability and flood insurance. We care about smart growth and how that will affect real estate property values.” — Beverly Garvin, Watson Realty

After the screenings, here are the candidates NEFAR is backing:

Florida

House of Representatives District 15: Paul Renner

Duval County

School Board District 2: Scott Shine

School Board District 4: Paula Wright

Jacksonville Beach

City Council District 1, Seat 4: Bruce Thomason

City Council District 3, Seat 6: Robert Lee Buck

Neptune Beach

City Council Seat 4: Richard Arthur

St. Johns County