School impact fees in jeopardy

A measure to exempt Pasco from legislation barring counties' new fees on home builders has died in the Senate.

By SHELBY OPPEL

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2000

TALLAHASSEE -- Pasco County's best chance to raise up to $4-million for school construction disappeared Thursday in the state Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Latvala, R-Palm Harbor, tried but failed to exempt Pasco County from a bill that would prohibit counties from imposing new school impact fees on home builders. The Senate defeated his amendment before granting the bill preliminary approval.

The measure is expected to be approved by the full Legislature today. If Gov. Jeb Bush signs it, Pasco County commissioners will not be able to carry through on plans to charge the fees this year.

Bush has yet to take a position on the bill but has said he supports tax cuts.

Impact fees are imposed on developers, who pass them on to home buyers. The fees help pay for the additional services those new homeowners require: new roads, new firefighters and new schools. Citrus, Hernando and Hillsborough counties charge impact fees for schools.

Pasco commissioners proposed an impact fee ordinance two weeks ago and on Tuesday held the first of two public hearings on the issue. The fee would add $1,706 to the cost of a new single-family home and would generate between $2-million and $4-million to build new schools.

Pasco school Superintendent John Long, a former state lawmaker, has said the money is needed to keep up with exploding student numbers.

The bill, first proposed by House Republicans, originally would have eliminated impact fees in the 15 fast-growing counties that now charge them. Now, however, the bill only limits the fees those counties collect.

Hillsborough County, for example, would be allowed next year to collect 37.5 percent of the school impact fees it collected this year. The bill would replace the lost money in Hillsborough and the other 14 counties with $50-million in proceeds from a state tax homeowners already pay on mortgages. During the 1998-99 school year, the Hillsborough School District received $1.9-million from impact fees.

The remaining 52 counties, if they had planned to impose school impact fees in the future, would simply be out of luck. Lawmakers have said they will work next year to develop a fairer source of construction funding for all 67 counties.

Latvala, who represents part of Pasco County, knew that he would face a fight on his amendment to the impact fee bill. Sens. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, and John Grant, R-Tampa, also urged senators to make the allowance for Pasco.

Earlier this week, state Reps. Heather Fiorentino and Mike Fasano, both Republicans from New Port Richey, tried and failed to persuade the House to make a similar change.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.