Manatee County Commission reviews impact fee options

Manatee County Commissioners are trying to solve an equation with various factors.

How can the county stay competitive and attract new development, while increasing revenue to meet the demands of a growing population generated by that development?

Commissioners are split and unsure how to answer those questions.

At a work session Nov. 10, the officials brainstormed pros and cons of raising impact fees, fees developers pay to build in the county, because of the impact the growth associated with development will have on schools, roads and other infrastructure.

Commissioners discussed raising impact fees to 90%, which would generate an additional $4 million per year into the county. 

District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh doesn't believe raising impact fees will necessarily benefit the county in the long run.

"I haven't seen enough information to know that I'm comfortable raising fees," Baugh said. "Raising our fees to 90%, from 75%, would make us the third highest county in our area. We need to stay competitive and not hurt ourselves. Most people don't realize it, but growth has supported us in many ways."

Another option would be to implement the increase in phases, an idea to which Commission Chairwoman Betsy Benac isn't opposed.

County Administrator Ed Hunzeker thinks a phase-in approach would still meet the debt service demands of the county.

"We could get by with an 80%, 85% and 90% phase in," Hunzeker said. "That schedule would be efficient enough to fund design phases, right of way acquisitions and permitting."

Commissioners are still considering their options, and took no action at the work session.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].