Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr
I'm trying to understand why the developer "should" be bearing these costs. Aren't the residents the ones that benefit from these services. In every other type of government, the residents pay for these services through taxes.
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Let's define "these costs" as the *additional* costs incurred by development of both residences, businesses, and other facilities. These costs could include new roads but they could also include expansion or improvement of existing roads.
New roads: I *believe* much of this in the Villages is paid for by the bond and in exchange, the impact fee in the Villages is low. Outside the Villages the impact fee is higher because there is no bond to pay for any new roads.
Road improvements: Additional traffic could require additional traffic lights, widening of roads, addition of sidewalks and curbing, etc. Villagers don't add too much to that since we primarily use our new roads and so the impact fee on Villagers homes is low. Homes outside the Villages cause a bit more use of the roads so their fee is higher. New businesses, especially those that draw a lot of customers and cars, have the potential to result in the majority of road improvements so their fee is higher.
If I am correct and the impact fees fund new road construction and existing road improvements made necessary by the construction of new homes and new businesses and directly benefiting new homes and new businesses then why should the developer "not* bear these costs (and, of course, pass them along to the owners of the homes and businesses).
Continual maintenance of the roads is funded through taxes but the initial construction of the roads or necessary improvements of the road should be funded by those that created the need.
(that's not to say that the 2019(?) study was correct or that new businesses can actually afford the fees, there is a place for Govt. to discount the impact fees. But let's be honest, the starting point for any compromises should be from the 100% level and not from the 40% level)