Agenda - 03-30-1989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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be used to provide facilities or services to benefit those who paid for them. The funds should be earmarked for a particular purpose and they should not be held indefinitely. Obviously, any additional taxes or fees on new development will make housing less affordable in Orange County. The County needs to make a concerted effort to promote affordable housing through additions and/or revisions in its zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, and land use plans. The county also needs to encourage more industrial and commercial development. The tax revenues generated by these types of development outweigh the cost of providing services to them, thus reducing the tax burden on current home and landowners. Unfortunately, any impact tax or fee will discourage industrial or commercial development. Is the short-term, one-time impact tax collected worth chasing off potential long-term industrial or commercial tax payer who will also create jobs and other revenues for Orange County citizens? In summary, the Home Builders Association of Durham and Chapel Hill oppose impact fees and/or impact taxes because of their negative affect on affordable housing and the long-term economic health of the County. However, we do recognize that new development should pay its fair share of the costs associated with providing new or expanded facilities necessitated by new growth and development. Orange County already has enabling legislation for impact fees. Impact fees are more equitable than impact taxes because they should require the County to do a fiscal impact analysis that details the improvements for which fees may be imposed, documents the infrastructure necessitated by new versus existing development and reasonably relating the fees to them, and assures that the funds collected are used to provide facilites and/or services that benefit those who paid for them.