A consultant has recommended that Wildwood nearly double its recreation impact fees while decreasing them for law enforcement.

Impact fees are a one-time charge for newly developed property, both residential and commercial. The fees, which are not a continuing tax, are designed to offset the cost of new development.

The Stantec study, presented Wednesday to commissioners at a workshop meeting, recommended a 98 percent increase in recreation impact fees phased in over a three-year period. Stantec is a consulting firm with offices in several Florida cities. 

Current fees of $244.22 per residential unit would rise to $483.38 after three years, according to the study. They would increase to $276.22 the first year and to $379.80 the second year.

The higher fees would recover about 70 percent of the city’s cost for recreation expansion. To recover the full cost, fees of $690.54 per unit would be needed.

You can read the entire study at this link: Stantec Study

The study also recommended reducing residential law enforcement fees by 4 percent to $271.42 per unit. It recommended a 44 percent cut in these fees for non-residential property to 19 cents per square foot.

Current fees are $284.12 per residential unit and 34 cents per square foot for non-residential property.

The new fees would recoup about 75 percent of law enforcement recovery costs.

Recommended impact fees for both recreation and law enforcement would place Wildwood’s in the lower third of more than two dozen comparable communities.

Road impact fees have been a major issue for Sumter County.

Earlier this month, commissioners delayed a proposal until July to increase the county’s road impact fees.

Current fees are less that $1,000 per parcel for age-restricted development in The Villages.

In the 2019-20 county budget, commissioners approved a 25 percent property tax rate increase, fueled partly by road construction costs, which many residents at two volatile public hearings said should by covered by higher impact fees instead.

Three incumbent commissioners were ousted in elections last year due to this issue.