The
sunny natural beauty of Navarre Beach, an unincorporated neighborhood on a narrow boundary island on Florida’s Panhandle, draws a steady stream of vacationers to the area’s many short-term rental properties. Though this is a small community, roughly 1,200 of its housing units function as STRs, so when the newly formed Fire and Rescue District advanced a resolution to re-classify them as commercial properties for fire assessment purposes – despite their residential zoning – REALTORS® cried foul. A Call For Action convinced local lawmakers to table the proposal.
For all properties operated as STRs, the attempted re-classification would have replaced the existing $537 residential flat-fee with a rate of $0.44 per square foot, increasing the fire assessment fees of some homes by more than 60%. According to Melissa Strange, Florida REALTORS®’ Government Affairs Director serving the Panhandle region, this not only threatened an unfair financial burden on property owners, but had serious implications for the entire community. The REALTORS® were concerned that the property reclassification could affect mortgage terms and insurance requirements; might open the door to even more regulatory expansion on residential properties; and would ultimately be a serious economic blow to Navarre Beach.
“Many of these homes are owned by snowbirds who are renting them out and biding their time until they can realize their retirement dreams, but if this dream becomes unviable and owners decide to sell, a potential market-flood would depress the community’s home values,” explains Strange, who notes that this would also cause a sharp drop in tourism, the area’s primary industry.
The Call For Action was the first the 247-member Navarre Area Board of REALTORS® had ever attempted, and while responses were modest – just four members sending clear objections to each of the town’s six Board of Fire Commissioners – it succeeded in getting the measure tabled. “It doesn’t sound like much, but having real estate professionals from a respected organization providing real numbers and real concerns clearly made an impact,” says Strange. Because the proposal is now effectively in limbo, it wasn’t a complete victory, she adds. “We’d have preferred a definitive ‘no,’ but if and when it comes up again, we’ll repeat the process; now that the members have experienced a CFA, they’ll be prepared and motivated for another.” In the meantime, she and the local REALTOR® board are continuing to work with local officials, and are monitoring meeting agendas to stay ahead of the issue.
Strange is a big fan of the REALTOR® Party’s CFA platform. “When it comes to these niche issues affecting these smaller communities, it’s great that this system is available, sparing local boards from having to tap into their RPAC funds and re-invent the wheel. It’s a huge benefit!
To learn more about how the REALTORS® are protecting and establishing precedent for private property rights in Navarre Beach, Florida, contact GAD Melissa Strange at melissas@floridarealtors.org or 716.465.5144.
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