The Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS® (R-BAR) hosted its annual legislative breakfast, held at the Rookery at Berks Nature on Tuesday, November 29th. The focus of this year’s breakfasts however, shifted, and focused on gathering county and local municipal officials from around Berks County to share the latest updates from their municipalities, as well as discuss major issues that impact REALTORS® and the community.
A host of municipal officials attended, and many municipalities were represented, including Jamal Abodalo, from the City of Reading, Fred Levering from Wyomissing Borough, Ted Gardella from Exeter, and Don Pottiger from Lower Alsace Township. The County Commissioners also attended and spoke, along with Pamela Shupp Menet who spoke about Imagine Berks and R-BAR’s role in leading its housing implementation team.
The event opened with remarks from R-BAR President Jason Burkholder, as well as comments from Jaime Perez, chairman of R-BAR’s government affairs committee, who moderated the event. This was followed by a county update from Commissioners Christian Leinbach, Mike Rivera and Kevin Barnhardt, who spoke about a range of topics including the proposed county budget for 2023, which will feature no tax increase and balanced operating budget, thanks in part to the organic growth in Berks County’s tax base. The commissioners also highlighted the development of the Infrastructure Investment Fund, that would lend money to municipalities with attractive loan terms in order to attract more businesses and opportunities.
Representatives from the attending localities discussed topics ranging from the ongoing development of the City of Reading’s land bank to rental registration ordinances in Lower Alsace. This event was a great success and we thank all of the municipal and county officials, our affiliates and members for attending.
R-BAR would like to thank our generous sponsors for supporting this amazing event:
For additional information, please contact the Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS® office at 610-375-8458 or send an email to govaffairs@realestateinberks.com.