Rent-to-own News - TARA swaps annual convention for legislative conference

The TARA Board of Directors recently adopted a new plan designed to focus TARA resources primarily on state legislative, regulatory, and legal issues affecting RTO operations.

The plan includes replacing the association's traditional annual convention and buying show with a new TARA Legislative Conference, significantly increasing dues for the largest members of the association, and totally revamping the vendor membership program.

"After much discussion, the Board concluded that we need to focus our limited resources on the main purpose of this association - protecting our businesses in the legislative and regulatory arenas," said Dan Sharff, TARA president. "We now have a plan that will allow us to go forward with a strong government affairs program to do just that."

The Board began developing the new plan last month to address the declining participation in the annual buying show over the past several years, the reduction in membership resulting from a number of mergers and acquisitions, and the threat of business tax increases in future sessions of the Texas Legislature.

The most significant change the Board made was replacing the annual convention and buying show with a new TARA Legislative Conference. This meeting will be conducted every other year during the regular sessions of the Texas Legislature.

This two-day conference will concentrate on legislative issues facing the Texas RTO industry, and will feature a Capitol Blitz where members will meet face-to-face with their state representatives and senators to discuss RTO issues. The meeting will also include social functions and networking opportunities for both dealer and vendor members.

"In reality, we are discontinuing our buying show and moving the annual convention to Austin to focus on our legislative agenda," said Sharff. "For this to be a successful transition we need our vendors who usually support us by purchasing a booth at our buying show to join our new Associate Membership Program."

The first TARA Legislative Conference will be held February 11-12, 2013, at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel, a few blocks from the Texas State Capitol.

The new program contains multiple exposure opportunities for vendors including the ability to post company articles and news releases, product and service announcements, personnel changes, and other company information in the Associate Members section of the TARA web site.

To remedy declining dues that have resulted from mergers and acquisitions, the Board voted to raise the annual dues paid by members who operate over ten stores in Texas.

TARA Board member Dwight Dumler, senior vice president of government affairs for Rent-A-Center, supported the increase.

"The larger dealers should bear more of the cost of operating this association," he said. "We fully support the new dues level and urge the others in this category to join us."

The entire restructure of the association is based on reports from Austin that the state is in poor financial condition and may have to consider additional tax revenues in the 2013 session.

"While we have been fortunate to live in a state that has not been affected by the recession as much as other parts of the country, our state government still faces an enormous challenge to balance its next budget in 2013," said TARA executive director Scott Pospisil. "Additional tax revenues will certainly be considered, making it essential for RTO dealers across the state to make their voices heard during the next session."

TARA members are urged to mark their calendars now for the first TARA Legislative Conference, February 11-12, in Austin. More information on this meeting will be forwarded to all members later this year.