Planning Commission Recommends Capping Impact Fees

BRADENTON – At Thursday's meeting, the Manatee County Planning Commission voted to recommend that the BOCC cap developer impact fees at their current 90 percent level, rather than allowing them to follow a previously-approved plan to mature to 100 percent this April, based on a study performed by a consultant that had been contracted by the county.

In December of 2015, amid strong public outcry against reduced impact fees that had been in place since 2009, the Manatee County Commission voted 5-2 to raise county impact fees on a annual graduated scale of 80-90-100 percent, beginning in April of 2016, with the final jump set to take place this year.

The vote was met with heavy resistance from developers, as well as a push from county administrator Ed Hunzeker to cap them no higher than 90 percent. Such a cap would continue to cost the county more than $2 million annually.

In April and May of last year, the BOCC started reversing course, holding work sessions that resulted in direction to county staff to begin looking at amending the land development code to prevent the final jump and keep the fees at 90 percent. Staff made the recommendation Thursday to do so.

Planning commissioner Al Horrigan was the lone dissenting vote on Thursday, calling the idea "absurd." Horrigan asked whether the county was saying it didn't need money for projects that could be paid for by impact fees. He then brought up the Tara Bridge as an example of an instance in which it did.

"The county can't have it both ways," Horrigan told me on Friday. "It can't keep saying that it doesn't have money for projects, and then say it doesn't need money from impact fees."

Impact fees are paid on new development in order to help fund the cost of infrastructure and capital investments that are required to support it. Things like patrol cars for law enforcement, parks, libraries, water and sewer pipes, and road improvements are among the items they are used for. A separate school impact fee is collected to help fund the cost for new student stations that is created by new growth.

The issue will come before the Manatee County Commission prior to the April 18 date at which the 100 percent impact fee jump is set to take place.

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