The Daytona Beach News-Journal
April 9, 2013
The Florida Legislature has enough state issues on its plate without taking on local impact fees.
A proposal making its way through both the state Senate and the House of Representatives would mandate a suspension of road-related impact fees for commercial developments smaller than 6,000 square feet.
While impact fees can burden new developments — especially in the kind of economy that Florida has endured for the last six years — this proposed solution intrudes on local-government prerogatives and violates home-rule principles.
Impact fees are a revenue source for local governments during times of strong growth. They help local officials build extra roads or schools when growth is strong, as it often is in Florida. The fees are attached to new developments.
The fees can add thousands of dollars to the cost of new homes and new business buildings. That’s a legitimate concern. Builders don’t generally oppose all impact fees, but the industry has sought relief in Tallahassee by asking for a uniform fee system.