Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottFenstermaker
How did you calculate $500,000? We don't know what the commercial properties would pay without an impact study, which Hage's legislation essentially blocks.
In any event, you are correct that new commercial property would be initially somewhat more expensive, but the businesses occupying it would subsequently pay less in property taxes.
Bottom line: somebody has to pay for the new county infrastructure, and I argue that that somebody should be the developers and new residents-- not us current residents. The 25% property-tax increase shows clearly what is going on here-- which is the current residents subsidizing the Developer-- it is he who is doing virtually all the new building. That is what the voters of Sumter County decided, by a 2-to-1 margin, in last year's County Commission election.
As I have said elsewhere, if you don't mind, in essence, writing a check each year to the Developer in the amount of your tax increase, I can't argue with you over property taxes and impact fees. However, I don't think higher impact fees, combined with lower property taxes, would slow growth-- it would just reallocate the costs thereof.
|
I'm surprised you don't have that information. What are you basing your comments on if you haven't reviewed the impact fee documentation?
There are two sources for the $500,000 number though in the end they both come down to the same 2019 Impact Fee Study.
1. The
Sumter County Impact Fee Schedule shows $3,356 per 1,000 sq ft for a Discount Club. Assuming a 100,000 sq ft Costco, that comes to $335,600. If we assume your 40% number is correct, at 100% it would come to a total of $839,000 or about $500,000 in additional fees.
2. There were several documents created in conjunction with the 2019 Impact Fee Study. One of those documents is a comparison of current fees at 40%, fees at 100%, and fees from several surrounding counties. The 40% and 100% numbers match the $335,600 and $839,000 numbers and therefore the $500,000 in additional fees.
I don't have the background to argue whether $500,00 in additional fees would keep Costco from coming here or whether $1,000,000 in additional fees would stop a hospital project. But until someone with the background cares to comment, I'll believe that those numbers are large enough to cause second thoughts and slow growth.