District cuts tie between impact fees, sales tax

After many hours of debate since its original decision last year, the Manatee County School Board decided the fate of the half cent school sales tax renewal would have no effect on the way school impact fees are collected.

In coming up with its plan to collect school impact fees, the school board agreed in January to reduce impact fees if the public votes to continue a half cent school sales tax. The current tax expires in 2017.

School Board member Dave “Watchdog” Miner attempted to rescind the caveat at the April 26 meeting and failed.

Vice chairman Charles Kennedy revisited the issue at the May 24 school board meeting. The board rescinded the caveat unanimously.

Kennedy and other board members said their constituents felt that tying the two together endangered the likelihood of getting the half-cent sales tax renewed by voters.

“The worry really hit home with me," Kennedy said. "We’re putting voters in a position of putting one over the other, and we’re running out of time.”

Pending Manatee County board of commissioners’ approval, school impact fees will now be collected on a tiered schedule for the next three years, sans caveat.

The school board favors a plan to ease into the amount of impact fees recommended by TischlerBise, a consulting firm hired to study the district's needs. If approved by county commissioners, the district will collect 50% of the suggested amount in 2016, 75% of the suggested amount in 2017 and the full amount starting in 2018.

When implemented fully in 2018, the school district will gain an annual average of $16 million in impact fees from the development of new homes in the county.

Superintendent Diana Greene said the half-cent sales tax is the priority for the district, as it brings in close to $30 million annually. That money can be spent in more ways than impact fees, which can only be spent on projects that accommodate a growing population, like the addition at William H. Bashaw Elementary or a new school. 

With five months until a possible November vote, Greene said she has to start reaching out to civic organizations, parent councils and community groups to educate the community on the importance of the sales tax to the district.

“The community has to advocate for it,” she said. “We’re getting very close to a difficult deadline. It’s going to be intense.”