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by Jeff Turov
Mechanical Maintenance of Texas |
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| The acronym BOMA is familiar to us all, it is a vehicle through which we conduct business, benefit the community, meet new people, and have fun. But what is a PAC, or Political Action Committee, and how does it relate to our organization? The intent of the following paragraphs is to familiarize you with PACs and how BOMA has utilized them to gain influence in the political arena.
PACs were formed in the 1970’s in an effort to clean-up a corrupt campaign finance system. As a result, political candidates and contributing groups must now file periodic reports of all receipts and expenditures to the Ethics Commission. Now, the election campaign process is open for inspection so that contributions made by individuals, political parties, and PACs can be publicly inspected.
With 3% of San Antonio’s city budget equating to the property taxes paid by commercial building owners, the legislative committee decided that this leverage could be used to influence local and national political issues. Using BOMA Dallas and Houston PACs as blueprints, SABOMA established our own PAC to begin accepting contributions and lobbying for legislation and regulation that is beneficial to our industry.
To date SABOMA’s efforts have resulted in the implementation of legislation and policies. Following are some of our successes:
- SAWS now has a system in place where property managers can register satellite office buildings to be contacted in the event that landscape sprinklers, retention ponds or other water systems malfunction. In the past, SAWS would hang a violation notice at the building entrance, which would typically go unnoticed and be perceived by tenants to be unprofessional.
- The implementation of policy where mold remediation is concerned. There are now guidelines in place stating that a mold remediation company must handle contaminated areas greater than 25 square feet. Areas smaller than this can be taken care of in-house. Mold remediation companies also must now be certified by the state according to the Texas Department of Health.
- The City of San Antonio and the Texas Department of Health now requires that an asbestos survey be performed in all buildings prior to any demolition or renovation. This inspection must be performed by a certified inspector with proof of survey provided to the city prior to the issuance of a building permit. Prior to this legislation there was no real policy in place for this. Tomi Sue Beecham fought hard for this issue and was in the running for the Governor Affairs Award through BOMA International.
BOMA San Antonio PAC depends on your contributions. Your contributions go to the candidates who support our causes. When members donate to SABOMA’s PAC, they speak as a group. While there are upper limits on the amount a member may contribute, there are no lower limits. Small contributions such as $5 or $10 are encouraged and greatly appreciated. For those who have the ability to do so, a monthly contribution plan would be even better. A reliable contribution structure will help our PAC to develop a more effective, longer-term political strategy. Our 2004 funding goal of $5,000.00 currently stands at $2,653.00. Contributions in any amount are needed and can be made either at our monthly luncheon or by mailing them to the BOMA office. Only individuals may contribute (not companies), and personal checks should be made payable to SABOMA PAC.
Members can also get involved with campaigns, make recommendations to the PAC Board about candidates, participate in Advocacy Day events and assist with letter-writing campaigns. The internet is a valuable tool to monitor local and national political issues. The San Antonio BOMA website provides links under the legislative tab to numerous local, state, and federal agencies. Any assistance provided in helping us to accomplish our goals is greatly appreciated. For more information or to volunteer for the Legislative and Government Affairs committee, please contact Tomi Sue Beecham or Lynn Forester.
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