Manatee County School Board says yes to impact fees

After more than three hours of public comments and discussion between Manatee County School Board members, the school district came to a consensus on impact fees — a hot button issue in the community that has gained traction over the last month.

The school board Nov. 10 unanimously voted to support the reinstatement of impact fees, fees developers must pay to build in the county, because of the impact the growth associated with development will have on schools, roads and other infrastructure.

Members will send a recommendation to Manatee County Commissioners to approve the reinstatement of the fees, which have been on a hiatus since 2009. Commissioners will vote on the issue mid-December.

The board's proposal is for developers to pay in 50, 75 and 100% increments over three years. The fee would cost developers thousands of dollars more per home per year.  

If the half-cent sales tax is approved by voters on the 2016 General Election ballot, the board will consider suspending the increase to 100%.

Board members hope the fees will help generate another revenue source that will ease congestion of classrooms in highly developed areas, such as East County and Parrish.

"The building industry is a major economic driver," board member Karen Carpenter said. "Growth should pay for growth."

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].