Impact fees would help pay for expanded services caused by growth
Editor:
Rapidly urbanizing communities are faced with the high cost of expanding public facilities and services to meet the needs of new growth. To alleviate the burden on present county taxpayers to finance the new infrastructure, facilities and services, the state has passed the Georgia Development Impact Fee Act....
Impact fees in unincorporated areas of the county on new developments would only help pay for expanded services. Fees would be added to homes and commercial buildings based on the cost of new improvements to serve the new community, and based on actual system improvements.
The alternative to imposing impact fees are raising taxes or issuing debt. When development is outstripping the availability of funds for public services, it can also cause an inadequate transportation system.
Legislative changes need to be made to help our rapidly expanding school system with possible impact fees. ... A new family with one school-age child moving into a new development home with the cost of education being close to $7,000 per child per year, while property tax may be only $2,500. Who is paying the additional $4,500? A school impact fee on this new home would soften the tax burden on present property owners. ...
Studies by Georgia Tech and other institutions show fears that impact fees would dampen development never materialized. ...
The rationale for charging impact fees is based on the premise that residents of new developments should pay a big portion of the cost of the new growth. Conversely, the existing residents should bear only the cost of improving existing services. ...With Columbia County's population already at 105,000 and with 1,300 new homes being built yearly, the infrastructure to accommodate this growth puts severe pressure on financial resources. As more land is being paved, storm water has become a pressing issue and requires more preventative construction work each year.
Many of our county roads and bridges have become inadequate to handle increasing traffic. There are nearly 30 needed road projects on the list under county obligation for $80 million, not to mention state and federal projects.
An impact fee on new homes and businesses might add $3,500 to the price of a new home to help pay for the new growth infrastructure. SPLOST and bonds are not adequate, and increased sales tax isn't legal, so draw your own conclusion. ...
S.G. von Schweinitz
Appling