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Dade City accepts impact fees
By CHASE SQUIRES © St. Petersburg Times, published March 14, 2001 DADE CITY -- As Pasco County's proposed $1,700 school impact fee for new homes steamrolled from city to city, Dade City Mayor Scott Black tried to stand in the way Tuesday. He was flattened. Black wasn't alone in his concerns about the fee, already approved by the County Commission and municipal bodies in Saint Leo, San Antonio and Zephyrhills. But he did cast the lone vote both against collecting the fee on the county's behalf and on amending a city ordinance banning such fees. "I just have some real concerns of whether this is in the best interest of Dade City," Black said. The mayor said he worried that Dade City was giving up what could be a lure to new construction. The city only issued two residential building permits last year, and both of those were for Habitat for Humanity homes, he said. If the city held firm against impact fees, a builder might be more inclined to do business inside city limits rather than pay the fee in an unincorporated area. County Attorney Robert Sumner said the city didn't have a choice. Pasco County already approved the fee, and it would include everyone, in the city or out. Black disagreed. The city is an independent body. "I don't want to be ugly about it. The people who build in Dade City are going to pay a school impact fee. You can chose not to collect it and that will place an additional burden on the county," Sumner said. "I'd hate to go to a lawsuit with you guys over two building permits." He told commissioners his comments weren't meant as threats. Commissioner Hutch Brock, who was the first commissioner to balk publicly at the impact fee when the idea came up last year, said he was softening to the concept but was convinced there could be other ways to fund school construction. Brock also wanted to be sure if the city gave the county permission to impose an impact fee for schools, that didn't mean the county could impose other impact fees at will. In a public hearing at Tuesday's meeting, resident Linae Paulsen said she was unhappy at the county's methods of providing more school money after it allowed rapid growth. "I don't like the idea of the county shoving this down our throats," she told commissioners. "This whole situation started by the county not being responsible." Commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of collecting the fee for Pasco County and 4-1 in favor of lifting its ban on impact fees for the school fee. Black said he knew he would be accused of being provincial, but cast the opposing vote both times. In other business Tuesday, commissioners welcomed Saint Leo as a customer of the city's fire department. Saint Leo commissioners agreed to ask Dade City for fire protection Monday night after the former provider, the San Antonio Volunteer Fire Department, announced plans to disband. And Black said he has placed the city on a list of potential sites for the state's "Capital for a Day" program that brings the workings of state government, including visits from Cabinet leaders. "I think this is a good chance to showcase Dade City," he said. "I'd like to see us be known in high places."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From today's Pasco Times |
