The Appraisal Institute – California Government Relations Committee (AI-CGRC) is presently composed of the five California chapters of the AI:
• Northern California Chapter
• Southern California Chapter
• San Diego Chapter
• Sacramento-Sierra Chapter
• Central Valley Chapter
Upon the merger of the Sacramento-Sierra and Northern California Chapters on January 1, 2022, the number of Chapters will decrease to four, but the number of committee members will remain static.
Each chapter has one vote. The State Committee Chair is selected by the committee and holds that position for two years: a term that coincides with the 2-year legislative calendar in Sacramento. There is also a chair at the chapter level. The Northern California chapter’s AICGRC chair is appointed by the incoming chapter president for the following year.
The committee employs a lobbyist to serve as our voice at the state capitol and with the legislators and various state agencies. Our lobbyist, Mike Belote, Esq., has represented us since 1989 (first with the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers and now for the AI since our merger in 1991). Each chapter is assessed an annual payment to offset the cost of our lobbying efforts; that assessment is calculated on a per-member basis, with the larger chapters paying a proportionally larger share of the cost.
In addition to the AI-Chapter voting members, we also have relationships with other professional appraisal organizations. Currently, a representative of the American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) participates in the meetings but is not a voting member. The committee has also invited the ASA and the American Guild of Appraisers (AGA) as guests with an invitation of becoming non-voting members. Non-voting members also pay dues.
Our committee meets at least 2 times each year with additional meetings scheduled as needed. Mike and his staff review legislative activities to determine which ones affect the appraisal profession and provide a summary of those items and their potential impact for the committee to review. The committee then discusses what actions, if any, we want Mike to take. Such actions can be to advocate for a position; to seek out additional information on an issue for further consideration, and/or; to simply monitor the issue and report back.
Each voting member reports to their chapter’s board of directors on the activities of the committee and makes themselves available to the board as a conduit to the committee. In addition, the chapter committee will summarize important legislative activities for distribution to the membership as needed so members can be informed on issues at the state level that are affecting our profession.
