Blog

December 27, 2004

Politics – Teater ~ Gebhardt

Our rural lot business is not a highly regulated business, and Countrytyme has not been a very active participant in politics or legislation.  However, from time to time we do get interested in current bills in the Ohio Legislature, and it is likely we will also be pulled into issues in other states where we have offices, including Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina and Florida.

Our in-house attorneys, Wendi Bootes and Sarah Swisher, have been helpful in issues we have that involve politics, and Wendi seems to enjoy the excitement of political debate, negotiation and compromise.

Wendi has chosen for help, Karl Gebhardt, of Teater-Gebhardt & Associates, which specializes in government affairs involving agriculture and natural resources.  Karl has had several executive positions at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Farm Bureau and the office of Farmland Preservation, where he was the first Executive Director.

Wendi and Karl were very active recently in the passing of S.B. 115, which was a compromise bill that added some authority to county regulation of large lot development in Ohio.

Countrytyme belongs to several organizations that have also been helpful in political questions. The Ohio Homebuilders and the Ohio Board of Realtors are active participants with Countrytyme concerning political issues.  Countrytyme and its employees belong to the Ohio Farm Bureau, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Ohio Manufactured Housing Association, and the Ohio Bar Association.

Countrytyme is actively looking out for the interests of both its past customers and future customers in the political arena, and this activity is likely to increase as the complexity and regulation of our business