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County considers two more impact fees
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer
Three impact fees have already crossed home plate while a fourth is up to bat and a fifth is on deck. Within the next few weeks, the Pasco County Commission is expected to hold public hearings on an impact fee for emergency services and start a study on another fee for law enforcement. The two fees together would help pay for fire stations, expansions to the jail in Land O'Lakes and for new radio and computer equipment for the Sheriff's Office, said Assistant County Administrator Dan Johnson. Impact fees are costs tacked onto new homes, a charge the builder typically passes onto the buyer. They help pay for goods and services demanded by the growth in numbers of new residents. "This is having growth paying for itself," Johnson said. The past two years, the county has adopted impact fees for schools, parks and libraries. Consultants Wade-Trim Inc. will soon present a study outlining recommendations for an impact fee for emergency services, which would pay for fire stations and needed equipment, Johnson said. Public hearings would follow before the commission would adopt the new fee. Also, within the next few weeks, the commission will be asked to authorize the last of four impact fee studies by Wade-Trim, this one for law enforcement, which could pay for an addition to the county jail in Land O'Lakes and equipment for the Sheriff's Office. The jail has a capacity of 664. The average population last year, according to Sheriff's Office spokesman Kevin Doll, was 732. In addition to emergency services, Wade-Trim had studied impact fees for parks and libraries under a 3-year-old agreement with the county. Figures were not yet available on how much the emergency services impact fee would cost a new home buyer. Last year, the commission voted to pass an impact fee for libraries that totals $145 per new house and $97 per new apartment or mobile home. It's a drop in the bucket compared to the need. The county's library master plan calls for $17.2-million in buildings and materials, nearly triple what the impact fees are expected to generate. The library impact fee followed a fee approved in January 2002 for parks. That parks impact fee runs at $892 per single-family home and $627 per unit in a multifamily housing development. The park impact fees are expected to raise $20-million over 10 years. But according to consultants, the county must double that amount to pay for what it needs. The library and parks impact fees joined an impact fee passed in 2001 for schools, at $1,694 per single-family home; $1,187 for mobile homes and $772 per apartment unit and other residences. The building industry initially balked at the school impact fee, but public opposition to each successive fee dwindled as unanimous approval appeared inevitable. To tackle its pressing shortages, the county plans to tap into some other pots of money, not just impact fees. For instance, earlier this month, county officials unveiled the details of a plan to go into debt to get $57-million for parks, drainage improvements, libraries and new fire stations. The plan would take advantage of low interest rates by refinancing one bond and borrowing on another. County commissioners and School Board members will also meet later this month to discuss a proposed increase to the sales tax. -- Saundra Amrhein covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is amrhein@sptimes.com .
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