The truth about impact fees
To the editor:
For the past several months I have observed individuals from one side of the impact fee issue who are misguided and blatantly sharing misinformation about impact fees to feed their own cause. I would like to speak the truth.
Lee County started collecting impact fees in 1987. The County collects five categories of impact fees: Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Roads, Parks and Recreation, and Schools. These fees that were collected since 1987 were used by local government to push our inner city south and the gated communities further east. In no way am I saying we should not collect impact fees, but it is important to know how and why they are collected.
The funds received from impact fees can only be used to build NEW roads, NEW schools and NEW parks or add NEW capacity to existing roads, parks and schools. I emphasize NEW because many people are mislead into thinking that impact fees can be used to maintain roads or pay for teachers’ salaries, books, etc. If you want a new school in your backyard or a new 8 lane road flyover through your community then lobby for the Board of County Commissioners to increase the impact fee collection rate. According to Florida Association of Counties (FAC), there are currently 22 counties out of 67 in the State of Florida that do not collect impact fees, while many others collect less than Lee County. Those counties choose not to collect impact fees because they (and myself) see them as a cause for urban sprawl.
In 2007, the Board of County Commissioners tripled the impact fee rate. Prior to, the average rate collected in Lee County was around $6,000 per home. I had my last home built in 2004 at that rate, for which I myself paid the impact fee, NOT the builder. In 2010, under the great leadership of Commissioner Manning, the Board reduced the rate 25 percent for $12,000 per single family home built. During my campaign in 2012, I firmly stated my priority was to reduce the impact fee collection rate in order to reduce spending from the Reserve Fund and to bring back jobs to Lee County. When I took office that same year and as the Chairman, the County was facing a $28 million deficit in the Budget and a 48 percent decrease in property values. Without raising taxes, how was I going to lead the Commission to balance the budget, without using Reserves, and increase property values? We needed to increase the tax base with those paying taxes annually rather than a one-time impact fee. The motion was to reduce the impact fee collection for Roads, Parks and Recreation and Schools by 80 percent, which passed 4:1. EMS and Fire were exempt. A year later, the plan proved successful. The County had excess funds from an increase of over $600 million in taxable properties, the lowest unemployment rate in years and a growing, vibrant community. We replenished the Conservation 20/20 fund, reinstated bus routes and renewed funding for LeeTran and other county programs.
Now, two years later, we must address the impact fee collection rate. Too many people have been speaking based on misinformation shared by others who are driven by their own agenda. For example, contrary to what some say, if the rate is not raised back to 100 percent you will not have to pay more taxes. LEE COUNTY HAS NO WAY OF CHARGING YOU FOR THE LACK OF IMPACT FEES PAID BY OTHERS. If your home was built before 1987 or purchased after being built then you never paid impact fees. Furthermore, all six cities in Lee County still collect the impact fee rate at 100 percent (each city decides their own rate). I find that some resort to false statements and misconceptions in order to incite followers out of clear desperation. It is unfortunate that someone would use their political position to continue to spread fallacies in order to benefit their own agenda. My commitment as your Commissioner is to do what is best for all of Lee County. My record speaks for itself in that I have done and will do what I have said from the beginning: I will continue to vote against tax increases and serve as a vocal watchdog, while holding private companies accountable for using your tax dollars. This is a very complex issue and it is important that the citizens know the truth. I look forward to public comment and to supporting a fair increase in the rate based on the needs of infrastructure and services.
Commissioner Cecil L Pendergrass
District 2
Lee County Board of County Commissioners,