Road Impact Fees

WW;

Being new here, I did not know about the tax on gas. That makes the path they are moving down even worse.

This sounds like the same scenario that is destroying Social Security. The money was supposed to go into a fund that made money. This would have helped support the program for a lot of years. The government decided they wanted the money so it went into the general fund and is now being put back as they feel like under some appropriation bill.

The problem is, there is no longer enough money to support the program because it was spent and they don't want to raise taxes to get it back. If they did that, they would have to admit that they misappropriated a lot of money over the years.

In actuality what they got was an interest free loan. Even worse is the fact that they don't even want to pay back the money that was taken.

I think these people all go to the same school to learn how to rip us off and try to make it sound like it isn't their fault.

Finder

WW

Go to Claycountygov.com and download the SEVENTY-NINE page document detailing the planned impact fees to finance road improvements.

Hope you can stay awake long enough to read the document and interpret for us in a future post.

As I heard it, the road impact tax is supposed to only affect new homes being built. I don't think it's an assessed tax on the general population. Again, I may be wrong, but that is what I believe it is supposed to be. So with the current impact of fee of about $7,200 per home, this new road tax on new buildings will be about another $5,000 sending the price of a home up to ~$12,000 in taxes alone. And you can bet that builders are not going to absorb that. (Frankly, I hope they don't just to keep more people away from here. (I know, I know, I'm being selfish.) Actually, it's a real    Catch - 22. On one hand, they claim they need taxes to fund road improvements, but if the cost of a new home is that much higher, there will be no clamoring for new homes in this area thus no need for some improvements. I'd use the chicken and egg metaphor but frankly, I'm sick of that one.

At any rate, if I am wrong (again) please let me know. I haven't publilcy flogged myself in awhile and feel I may lose my membership in Opus Dei. ;>)

Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman

The road impact fee is a fee imposed only on new construction, residential and commercial.  The county is divided into 2 zones - North East & South West.  The dividing line is SR-16 for north-south, and Black Creek east-west.  Anything north of SR-16, and east of Black Creek is in the more developed North-East zone and impact fees for single family residential is $5,362.  In the less developed South-West, it is $2,442.

The fees themselves are tough enough (but, the money has to come from somewhere), but after being treated like any other business expense, and added to the sales price of a house, mortgaged for 30 years at 6-1/2%, the $5,362 easily turns into $8,000 and adds $40 to a house payment. 

There is a national study that shows for every $1,000 added to the price of a house in the Jax metro area, 1,100 people are priced out of qualifying for that home.  Simple math 5 x 1,100 = 5,500 people who just got priced out of the home they wanted to buy.  In a down market.  Oh boy, this is gonna be fun.  At the very least, you will be getting a lot less house for your money - assuming you decide to buy.  But, look on the bright side - you are helping improve the transportation picture for the future.

There is a 19 page ordinance, and a 31 page accompanying report that helps explain it.  Good luck.  I want to understand it, and it's tough.  Best not to get bogged down in the details, and go for the big picture.

Impact fees are a fact of life for Florida.  They are established on a county-by-county basis, and help off set lost revenues from less and less dependence on property taxes.  In different counties, they are used to cover everything from schools (Clay's is $7,200+/- for schools) to parks to public safety and everything else Impacted by new growth.  Some counties' total fees are well over $20,000.  It is the definition of growth paying for itself - literally.

Hope that helps.  I won't bother with my opinion - I bet you already know it.

Road impact fees are just like school impact fee they are for future use. If these fees would have been in place as many counties did a long time ago, we would be in a much better shape today. Such as Hernando and Citrus Counties, which have had fees in place for well over 10 years. Their infrastruture shows what good management of the county's business does for the residents.

People who want to come to the county need to step up and pay to move here. We the long time residents should not be expected to shoulder the burden of all past and future growth as we have been asked to do. 

Just like it was discussed at the school concurrency meeting about a sales tax to help with the current problems. Wouldn't suprise me if we hear about us paying more to fix the Commissioners problems with roads as well.  

Clay County's proposed transportation impact fee will be on new development only, not existing development.

Such fees are for the new impacts, such as increasingly clogged roads, that new developments bring.

This will not be a fee on existing property.

And it is not yet approved. The Clay County Commission is expected to hold a hearing and take action at its 2 p.m. Nov. 13 meeting.

Read more about the proposal in an edition of My Clay Sun next week.

Beth Reese Cravey Staff Reporter 904.366.6381

This is true for now. If anyone thinks that Duval is the only county that is going to implement 'fees', I'd like to show them some ocean front property for sale in Arizona.

If I put my 'Karnac" hat on I can see any number of fees coming down the line if the new property tax cut is passed in January.

No matter how you vote, you can bet that the county is not going to really quit spending more than they should. The other thing you can bet on is that as soon as the county sets up a fee, the non-profits will be whining and wailing that they should not be taxed.

Yes I agree that a fee that is on the tax bill is a tax no matter what you call it. However, my feeling is that if they don't call it a tax, it should be paid by all.

Finder