The Vermont Association of Realtors announced its endorsements of Gov. Peter Shumlin, Lt. Gov. Phil Scott and Sen. Vince Illuzzi for auditor today.
Chris MacDonald, government affairs director for the association, said Shumlin’s decision in May 2012 to sign into law a bill requiring homeowners on private roads to share maintenance costs as a condition of their mortgages, was a key factor in their decision to support him.
MacDonald say the bill had been a source of contention within Shumlin’s administration, and the governor had wavered on the bill, arguing that a common law precedent made a new piece of legislation unnecessary.
MacDonald describes Shumlin’s change of heart on the bill as “a huge hurrah for realtors around the state.”
MacDonald also pointed to several pieces of legislation that Shumlin, Scott and Illuzzi were involved in striking down.
In particular, they opposed a proposal put forth by the Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission that would have eliminated itemized deductions on mortgage interest and property taxes. All three also opposed an expansion of broad-based taxes that would have included the services industry as well as a mandate that would have required sellers to conduct an energy audit and disclose the rating when putting a home on the market.
MacDonald also praised Shumlin’s efforts to encourage job growth, pointing to the correlation between income growth and the robustness of the real estate market.
“We support his approach to bringing jobs to the state, expanding opportunities for youngsters out of college and people in general. If we have a solid job market and people are getting paid, they tend to buy homes.”
