Agree(with above). The Impact Fees and the 25% tax increase are not precisely related.
The Impact Fees are/have been an ongoing concern, as the developer has been allowed to pay a reduced portion. I think this is wrong, as the developer planned, purchased, and executed this expansion, without us tax payers having input(only the commissioners, whom encouraged it). Hence, the burden should be put on the developer, who has every right to pass that on to the purchaser. Never have I seen a place, where a developer proposes a development to a town or municipality(county), have it approved, and then pass the impact costs onto other areas of the county???
As for the 25% tax increase, the Impact Fees are only a portion of that. There were many other items included. Like, pay increases for themselves. School Resource Officers(SRO), which were already (mostly) being provided, but they opted to add more staff, to cover it, now that the state law came into effect. Yada Yada Yada.
Regardless, you can argue for and against some of these initiatives, and determine which are important and worthy of a tax increase. My issue is/was, that they were ALL piled into one omnibus spending bill with very little debate?! Again, I have never seen anything like it? Even in a very liberal(tax heavy) state that I came from, a 25% increase in one year would be totally unacceptable! Regardless of the tax liability history of the county, that is VERY POOR planning on their parts, to wait and decide this increase was needed all at once?! And, when questioned, they stated it was all necessary. THEN, they decide to reduce it? Just what kind of planning was really done??? So, yes. They can opt to roll back some of the 25%, and if some of those initiatives are defunded, those agencies will have to make tough budgetary decisions, like everyone else.
NOTE: I love TV, and all it has to offer. And I am NOT anti-developer. I love what the Morse's have done. And I am quite disappointed that this issue has been brought into "Florida's Friendliest Hometown".
|