Recently, there have been several articles in the local media regarding road repair/facilities improvement funding, wastewater treatment facilities, traffic controls etc. all needed in our communities for dealing with traffic or lack of capacity to handle all the new growth here in Florida.
Once again, the majority of these issues exist for ONE reason – local, county and in some cases state officials have ignored the impact of the growth in our communities or simply are afraid to increase Impact Fees to meet these needs.
Impact Fees, and the reserves created by collecting them, are the one specific way government has to assess the cost of new or expanded services, roads, schools, police, fire, etc. upon the individuals or companies creating the need for these services. I would go so far to suggest that all road improvements, water and sewer expansion/updates, schools, fire stations, police and any other services required by annexations or new construction should be primarily the responsibility of those responsible and benefiting from such growth – for the most part this is the developers of new housing or commercial sites.
While developers argue that the Impact Fees slow growth and raise the cost of development, that has not and will not happen. Nothing has slowed the growth here in Florida because the alternatives stink. Even so, what is wrong with that? I would rather have the cost of new facilities fall on those creating the need than on existing residents – we don’t need it!
It makes no sense at all, for those of us who have resided here for many years, or those who purchased existing homes should be asked to pay for expansions of services for new residents. Certainly, once the necessary facilities or services are funded, we all pay for ongoing maintenance, in the form of service fees or taxes. But, the initial cost of road improvements or facility expansions, simply to provide for new growth should be borne by those causing the need for these services!
When Impact Fees were authorized, the only intent was to provide funding, through planning and forecasting, for the necessary cost generated by that growth. Then levy that cost on the developers. Of course, they pass it on to their customers, in the price of their homes, and never pay it themselves. But at least existing taxpayers/ratepayers are not funding it. We should all know now how much of these “needs” are being funded by existing Impact Fee reserves and not general revenues.
If our local government representatives are incapable of performing that simple task, out of fear or incompetence, they should resign. Any local/county government, facing facility expansions due to growth, not funded by Impact Fees collected in advance, have dramatically failed their constituents! It is not only unfair to pass on these costs to existing residents, I believe it is a total abuse of office!
The next time you go to the ballot box to vote for local or county officials, take a look at how they have addressed impact fees. It is the primary tool to address the cost of growth. If they have failed to set rates that support their unbridled expansion approvals – please don’t re-elect them, because you will get even more of the same if you do!
Robert Nyce is a resident of The Villages.