Getting Elected to a Strata Committee

In all strata and community title environments, the committee plays a key role in ensuring everything runs smoothly. From planning and coordinating meetings to financial management, strata committees handle a range of duties on behalf of the owner’s corporation. But how do you get elected to a strata committee?

There are many reasons to consider nominating for a spot on the committee, whether you have valuable skills that could benefit the scheme or you’re simply concerned that other owner’s voices aren’t being heard by the current committee. We explore how to get elected to the committee so you can start making a difference.

What are the committee’s roles and responsibilities?

Strata committee members typically undertake a range of different roles, including overseeing maintenance projects, collecting strata levies, and ensuring compliance with legal obligations. They can also be responsible for long-term planning, financial management and handling the day-to-day running of the scheme, often in partnership with the body corporate manager.

Most strata committees include a Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer and some general committee members. Certain roles may require some relevant experience, while others only require enthusiasm. However, remember that strata committee roles are voluntary, so you need to be willing to make a firm commitment and give up your time for the good of the scheme.

Let’s see how to go about getting yourself elected.

Nominate for the committee

Committee members are typically elected during the Annual General Meeting, but you’ll first need to flag your intention to nominate. Make sure you check the Bylaws first, because some may include eligibility requirements for committee membership. Most schemes, however, allow all lot owners to nominate.

Ideally, you should nominate for a specific role and consider how you can best contribute. For example, if you have a financial management background, you may be highly suited to the Treasurer position. This gives you a chance to showcase exactly what you can bring to the role.

Build relationships with fellow owners

While strata committee elections aren’t designed to be a popularity contest, you’ll do a lot better if you’ve got good relationships with your fellow owners. To be on a committee, you need to demonstrate a genuine interest in helping the scheme flourish, so it helps to attend community events and meetings to network with as many owners as possible. Bear in mind, that you should be working on building these relationships at all times, not just in the lead-up to an election. This will help to show your fellow voters that you’re genuinely interested in everybody’s concerns, not just your own.

Showcase your skills and experience

Part of any election process is convincing voters that you’re the best person to look after their interests. This applies to local strata committee elections just as much as it does in government. If you’ve got any special skills or relevant experience that adds real value to the committee, find any opportunity to showcase that. It’s essential that your fellow owners can clearly see that you’re capable of fulfilling a role. You’ll likely get a chance to address fellow owners at the AGM, but don’t leave it until then. Whether it’s just talking with neighbours or suggesting improvement projects, don’t miss an opportunity to showcase what you’ll bring to the committee.

Understand current strata issues

One reason that people nominate for the strata committee is because they don’t like how things are being run currently. If that’s the case, you’ll be well aware of current issues that impact the community. Whether it’s budget mismanagement, high strata levies, a rise in noise complaints or anything else, it’s important you understand the challenges ahead.

By understanding these issues, you can more clearly communicate your own strategies for improvement. This enhances your profile in the community and instils a sense of trust in owners that you’re the right person to represent their interests. Without this knowledge, it can appear as though you’re nominating for yourself, rather than for the good of all owners.

Prepare for the election meeting

Finally, it’s time to prepare for the election meeting, usually the Annual General Meeting. If multiple candidates are vying for a position, they’re typically all given a chance to share a short statement about themselves and why they’d make a good committee member. This is your opportunity to share your skills, experience, understanding of current issues and importantly, your strategies to make life better for all lot owners.

From there, it’s in the hands of the voters.

Need help with your strata committee?

Strata committees play an important role in the smooth running of shared community properties. However, many committees still require some professional assistance in managing the scheme effectively. Strata Management SA offers a wide range of strata and community title management services aimed at easing the burden on committees. We can take care of your scheme’s management so that you can focus on more strategic planning issues and enjoy your time in strata.

To find out how we can help, contact the friendly team at Strata Management SA today.