Texas REALTORS® Issues PAC (TRIP) Local Issues Committee and the Issues Mobilization Program

Program Information, and Local Issues Trustee Roles and Responsibilities

Texas REALTORS® Issues PAC (TRIP) Mission

To support or oppose proposals under consideration by local governmental bodies, such as council/commission action or local ballot measures, which concern the preservation of real-property rights, real estate brokering, and the legal and economic rights of real estate consumers and practitioners.

Funding comes from the Texas REALTORS® Issues Political Action Committee (TRIP) Local Issues Fund.

Local Issues Committee and Trustee Responsibilities

The Local Issues Fund is established within the Texas REALTORS® Issues Political Action Committee (TRIP), and the Local Issues Committee members serve as Trustees of that PAC.

The Local Issues Committee is tasked with reviewing applications from local associations for issues campaign assistance; overseeing the Local Issues Fund; and expending those funds as deemed appropriate.

Committee Trustees are expected to have a strong grasp of REALTOR® public policy positions and the impact local issues proposals may have on the real estate market in a community. Trustees also need to understand what makes for successful campaign strategies and be able to evaluate and amend campaign plans and budgets for efficiency and effectiveness.

Trustees are ambassadors of the Local Issues Mobilization program and should make an effort to promote the program to local associations and REALTOR® members in their community.

Committee Trustees may be called into a grant application review meeting on as short as 24-hours’ notice, as issues campaigns can arise quickly and necessitate immediate response. These virtual meetings can happen frequently or sparingly, depending on local political climates and urgency of policy issues.

In addition, the Committee meets in-person at the Texas REALTORS® Winter Meetings, Annual Conference, and yearly Government Affairs Orientation.

Eligibility and Qualifications

  1. Eligibility: To be eligible for appointment as and to serve as a Trustee of the Local Issues Committee, a person must be:
    1. an active REALTOR® member in good standing, as those terms are defined in Article II of the Texas Association of REALTORS® Bylaws;
    2. a full-time employee of a local REALTOR® association of Texas; or an Individual Member as defined by the Association bylaws.
  2. Consideration for Recommendation: Before the end of July each year, the Local Issues Committee officers or their designees will recommend eligible persons to the Association for consideration for appointment to the Local Issues Committee for the following term. Recommendations will be made following an application and interview process, conducted annually by the committee officers or their designees. To be considered for recommendation, eligible persons must:
    1. submit an application in a form as adopted by the Local Issues Committee;
    2. participate in an interview with the committee officers or their designees; and meet criteria as established by the Local Issues Committee that takes into consideration geographic representation, industry experience, political experience, or other qualifications as deemed appropriate and necessary.

In addition to the above qualifications, the Local Issues Committee Officers will work to recommend Trustees that represent a variety of geographic regions and brokerage sizes, and to build a committee of members from diverse backgrounds and communities.

Applicants may, but are not required to, include letters of recommendation from their local association, other REALTOR® leaders, or local association staff.

Committee Structure and Appointments

The Local Issues Committee is comprised of between 20 and 25 volunteer trustees including the committee officers, and at least one local association executive and one local government affairs director.

The committee officers include the Chair, First Vice-Chair, Second Vice-Chair, and Immediate Past Chair. The officers are appointed annually by the Texas REALTORS® Leadership Team.

One-third of the committee trustee seats are appointed annually, and members serve a three-year term. Appointments are made by the Texas REALTORS® Leadership Team, following the application and interview process, based on recommendations from the TRIP Trustee leadership.

Application and Nomination

Eligible REALTOR® members and local association staff who are interested in applying for the Local Issues Committee must submit an application and be interviewed by the committee officers (or their designees). Following applicant interviews, the committee officers will make appointment recommendations to the Texas REALTORS® Leadership Team.

The deadline to apply for the 2025 Local Issues Committee is Friday, June 28, 2024.

Contact Texas REALTORS® staff with any questions at TRIP@texasrealtors.com or (512) 370-2102.

You can also reach out to your Texas REALTORS® Field Representative.