We have written earlier that the Lake County Impact Fee Committee had two meetings (May 20 & June 17) where they heard recommendations from a consultant to raise current impact fees for Transportation (Roads), Libraries, Fire District, and Parks. School impact fees are decided separately by the School District Board, so are not part of this issue. The committee voted to forward the consultant recommendations to the Board for approval.
However, I asked Lake County Commissioner Jennifer Hill, the Board's liaison to the Committee, when the proposed fee hikes will be discussed by the Board for approval. She said the State law mandating periodic fee studies didn't require the decision until early 2011, so the Board will not review the proposed fees until late 2010.
We can't help noticing that is also after the November elections for the two Commissioners that are up for re-election.
The Board is also deferring a separate recommendation from the Impact Fee committee that was spearheaded by the Lake County Homebuilder's Association to shift impact fee costs to ALL taxpayers by increasing gas and other taxes. Since incumbents Elaine Renick and Linda Stewart are running for re-election, and they would probably vote against any shift from impact fees, any vote on shifting the fees would be made by the new Board, when opponents to Stewart and Renick are supported by, guess who,the home builders. Thus, the odds of having 3 Commissioners who vote to shift impact costs to ALL taxpayers instead of taxing new construction, may increase after the November elections.
Also, transportation impact fees are waived until March, 2011, so any change in fees for transportation will not matter until then.
So, we all have more time to analyze the pending impact fee increases, and discuss the "alternative" funding idea of increasing everyone's taxes in order to subsidize homebuilder profits. The pending proposals are in this consultant report and proposed ordnance revision HERE.
vj
