Local leaders heading to D.C. to talk flood insurance
Local mayors and county commissioners will visit the nation’s capital next week to discuss the impact of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act on individual property owners and taxpayers.
Lee County Commission Chairman Larry Kiker and officials will spend Tuesday, Feb. 11, and Wednesday, Feb. 12, meeting with members of Congress, congressional staff and administration officials to continue discussions on the U.S. Senate’s recently passed Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act. The legislation would delay implementation of portions of the Biggert-Waters Act and bring much needed relief to Florida’s property owners.
“On behalf of more than 143,000 National Flood Insurance Program policy holders in Lee County, we Lee County-based elected officials need to urge House members to also bring this issue to a vote,” Kiker said.
Kiker will be in Washington, D.C., with Mayor Kevin Ruane of Sanibel, Mayor Marni Sawicki of Cape Coral, Mayor Alan Mandel of the Town of Fort Myers Beach and Mayor Ben Nelson of Bonita Springs. Also accompanying the group is a county staff member and Chris Heidrick, who owns a Lee County-based insurance agency and is familiar with the law and its impact on Southwest Florida coastal residents.
The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 is federal legislation that affects premium rates on National Flood Insurance Program policies. Lee County property owners can learn more about the issue by visiting leegov.com/dcd/NFIP. At this website, policy holders can become aware of current federal law, Lee County’s efforts to address it, and tips for coping with rising flood insurance rates.