The chapter also named new officers and directors; inducted five members into its exclusive No. 1 Club; and honored an Orlando real estate lawyer for his volunteer work with the community, the construction industry and the chapter.
The new appointments and awards come as the local AGC formally supports its national group in urging the Internal Revenue Service to withdraw a proposal to tax off-road, mobile machinery, such as cranes, used in the construction of multimillion-dollar commercial real estate projects.
"This tax change will only discourage new capital investments in construction equipment at a time when President Bush is pursuing economic policies to stimulate the economy," Phil Thoden, the national AGC's director of congressional relations, told an IRS panel studying the issue in Washington. "The proposal is not needed and is poorly timed," Thoden says.
Federal highway construction is funded through the Highway Trust Fund by a 12% federal sales tax. Most of the taxes paid into the fund are those levied on motor fuel consumed by highway vehicles. But mobile machinery, primarily used off-road on construction projects and only used minimally on highways, has been exempt from taxes for years.
However, in June 2002, the IRS proposed that the construction industry machinery start paying the Highway Trust Fund tax, as well as the heavy vehicle tax and an excise tax on fuel and tires.
"AGC believes that the current exemption is still warranted," Thoden says. "Additionally, the 'stealth tax' is poorly timed, as it comes only months after President Bush signed into law bonus depreciation to encourage companies to invest in expensive equipment, such as mobile machinery."
Besides Mucha, other newly named AGC chapter officers are Cecil Walker, CW Construction Services Inc., vice president; David Price, American Bridge Co., treasurer; and Roger B. Kennedy Jr., of Roger B. Kennedy Inc., secretary.
New directors are Brian Petersen, American Bridge Co.; Edmund J. Waldron, J.T. Callahan & Sons Inc.; Russ Alcorn, Hensel Phelps Construction Co.; Albert Krieger, 3D/Internaitonal; Gary Boeckenstedt, the A Group Inc.; David Hayes, Wharton-Smith Inc.; Scott Ryan, Cotter-Ryan Construction Co.; Bryan Boykin, Turner Construction Co.; Brian Butler, JCB Construction Inc.; Michael Hornreich, Greenberg Traurig law firm; Lee Ferguson, Rinker Materials; John N. Puder, John N. Puder Inc.; Jeffrey Condello, Randall Mechanical Inc.; Charles Wallin, Florida Rock Industries; Russ Valentine, Buena Vista Construction Co.; and Philip Copare, Construction Services Enterprise.
The chapter's No. 1 Club has five new members cited for helping to recruit 34 new members to the 300-member Central Florida group. Inducted were Roger G. Kennedy Jr.; Cecil Walker; Jim Thomas, Alliance for Affordable Services; Michael Hornreich; and Alan Hicks.
Edmund Baxa Jr., managing partner of Foley & Lardner's Orlando office and a two-year AGC chapter director, received the Bruce E. Holmes Distinguished Service Award. Baxa also works with the chapter's legislative committee.
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