PLEASE TAKE ACTION ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE!
The Board of Technical Registration (BTR) is too expensive, inefficient and/or corrupt.
Incompetence and/or corruption is expensive for everybody. Rest assured, the high fees and other costs paid by Home Inspectors are passed on to the consumer. In other words, the BTR's incompetence and/or corruption is hurting the very consumers that it's supposed to protect. And now, Arizona lawmakers have proposed a bill that will completely eliminate the BTR (SB1171).
If this bill passes, the BTR's authority would be transferred to the AZ Registrar of Contractors (ROC), which currently regulates contractors such as plumbers, electricians, roofers and homebuilders. That means those professionals who are currently licensed by the BTR, such as Home Inspectors, Architects, Engineers, Geologists and Land Surveyors would be licensed by the same agency as contractors. Maybe new leadership can save the BTR.
The BTR's Executive Director will probably tell you the BTR is being considered for elimination only for budgetary reasons. But I believe the BTR is a self-supporting agency, meaning its budget does not come from the State's General Fund. Instead, the BTR's revenues are derived from the fees it charges to registrants for things like application fees, examination fees, license renewal fees and other miscellaneous fees. (And let's not forget about all those fines it collects from Home Inspectors for disciplinary actions). The point is, it won't save the state any money to eliminate the BTR. Don't you think our lawmakers know that? The BTR is being considered for elimination because it's INEFFICIENT.
I have personally spoken to several State Senators, House Representatives and the Governor's office about the problems at the BTR. The first Representative I talked to said something to the effect of, "we have been aware of the Board's inefficiency for some time". In fact, that was one of the first things he said to me when I sat down in his office.
I have also personally witnessed the improper behavior of the BTR's Executive Director and other staff members. Up to this point, the Board members have done nothing to stand up to the ineffective leadership and improper actions of BTR staff. From my research so far, it's not entirely clear whether the Board members are also acting improperly or if they're just unaware of what's happening at the BTR and don't realize they're allowing it to happen. In one case I'm aware of, the BTR's Executive Director seems to be doing everything possible to keep the Board from finding out about his improper actions.
But now it's time for the Board members to either act, or lose the ability to act. If they don't step up to the plate and do what's necessary to reform the BTR, the BTR WILL BE ELIMINATED. If the Board members fail to take action, our lawmakers will. And our lawmakers are not stupid. They're NOT going to fall for the MYTHS that some industry organizations think will save the BTR.
Serious changes are necessary at the BTR now. And since the current leadership is part of the problem, those changes can only take place with new leadership. CHANGE STARTS AT THE TOP. It's time to change the Executive Director, and lets start fixing the problems at the BTR instead of denying they exist.
If you would still like more information, please be sure to read the following:
- The BTR Report
- MYTHS about the BTR
- Current Issues & Calls to Action
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