Hi, I'm Ted Kamel, Senior Vice President of Azavar in Tyler, Texas.
When I was in my early 20's, I was very involved in civic organizations here in Tyler, Texas and I ran for City Council. I absolutely fell in love with local government because they have a direct impact on communities. Serving on a Council, I learned the ropes and elevated to serve in the Texas legislature, and wanted to continue working for local government.
I have authored more than 30 bills during my 4 terms in office, including a bill that allowed the University of Texas at Tyler to become a full four-year university. When I retired from the legislature, I was looking for a career that I could wake up every day and love doing. I didn't want to work for a city, but I knew I wanted to help cities.
Cities in Texas are night and day—East Texas vs. Rio Grande Valley, I love the diversity."
For the past decade, I have been doing just that, helping cities find revenue and solve problems. Local government is still where real issues are solved and people can see the effects sometimes within a month of a Council's actions. Every day is not the same. Every proposal is like a piece of art, you have to paint the picture that helps that local community and create a contract that meets their needs because every community has its own set of priorities.
Texas is experiencing so much positive growth. From our school districts to our population, there is a great sense of optimism here. Planning for this growth is essential to prevent things like congestion or ensure that there are adequate fresh water supplies to support new residential development.
Texas has been a role model for growth in the United States. They are balanced in their approach and really make sure that their growth is positive, serves a purpose, and their taxpayers are protected. Although cities are taking on bold new projects like building new court houses and high schools, there is this strong sense of preservation in Texas. We like to reach back to our history and embrace the past while modernizing our communities.
This is the kind of strategic growth that Texas is undergoing. It takes focused planning and budgeting to make sure taxpayers are not paying the price in the end. Azavar helps communities in Texas build credibility with taxpayers because our tools give you a handle on predicting future revenues to plan for projects.
Our Insights & Analytics Reporting Feature allows you to predict and analyze your Sales, Use and Occupation Tax data as it comes in real-time, so you can forecast growth and prepare your next budget. Beyond reporting, we help your community find money by identifying errors in your Sales Tax revenue. We make sure you are bringing in the revenue you deserve at a time you need it the most.
At Azavar, I am able to help local governments who are looking for a more holistic approach to solving their problems. It is common for municipalities to be using 6 different legacy systems; one for taxes, one for water, one for parking tickets, etc. And they are all being lashed together somehow.
We also help communities find money; whether it is Sales Tax, Franchise Tax audits, or Short-Term Rental compliance, we make sure those streams of revenue are flowing for years to come. We provide one simple system and manage your community's transition from analog to digital. The brunt work is invisible to you because we are more than just software, we are a service and our support team does all the work for you.
A contract signed means a forever client to me. My clients have to know that our relationship is meaningful and that it goes way beyond finding them money. I stop by and visit face-to-face and if they have grievances, I listen and respond. I go to these different communities and participate in their activities, it is a civic-oriented type of life.
Come late June 2020, I'll have my truck gassed up and ready to get on the road. Do you have any time the week of June 15th to meet? Please send me a date and time that I can stop by, I'll be in your area and will arrange my travel around your availability.
Please call me directly, I would love to speak with you.
Direct: 877-654-0021
Sincerely,
Ted Kamel
Senior Vice President
Azavar