Florida district gets OK to reimpose impact fees
The Manatee County (Fla.) Commission has given the county's school district permission to reinstate school impact fees for new residential development.
The Bradenton Herald says the commission's vote clears the way for the school system to collect the fees for the first time since 2009, when they were eliminated because of the economic downturn. The fees help the district offset the costs of handling enrollment growth that accompanies residential construction.
No developers spoke at the commission meeting in opposition to the fees, but in the past they have argued that the impact fees are unfair and detrimental to economic growth.
The school district released a study in November on impact fees.
"It is anticipated that new residential development will generate the demand for 3,039 additional elementary school seats, 1,270 middle school seats, and 1,571 high school seats, or a total of 5,880 student seats over the next 10 years," the study says.
Beginning in April, the district will collect impact fees at 50 percent of the maximum allowed rate: Single family/detached: $3,237; townhouse: $3,424; mobile home: $739; and multifamily: $1,762.