Agenda - 03-30-1989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ammoml ti K • VOL•95 • DURHAM, N.C.,SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1989 NO. 15 . • Richard J. Kaspar '. President And Publisher • William:E:N. Hawkins • Jon C.'Ham • John H. Adams Ex utive err Editor Managing Editor. .:. .Editorial Page Editor . • * Im -axes 1 , ike public officeholders in - other counties in and munici- When Unreasonable, They • North Carolina --sand across the nation—the Dui Reduce Affordable Housing barn County commissioners want the General Assembly to give them taxes just as do other homeowners. more authority to make developers But he also pays additional taxes pay impact fees for such things as because impact fees were tacked roads, parks, schools and .police onto the price of his house and • and fire protection. property. Therefore, To some degree, impact fees are. owner in a new.development home • reasonable.New development costs have to pay a premium to use the• public. With federal funding roads, schools and :parks—the' for public projects virtually nonex- same services enjoyed by another. istent today,local governments are homeowner whose property is not rn strapped to make ends meet. New double-taxed. • . industry and residential develop- In some areas, the impact fees• merit require more roads, water, are enormous. A recent New York • sewer, schools and parks that can- Times story pointed out.that in not be financed on a pay-as-you-go Orange County, Calif., impact fees basis. Public financing through 'for a $200,000 to $300,000 house • bond issues requires voter approv- were as high,as $17,000, The same al, and while the recent record of story noted that impact fees for the bond approval in Durham is excel- average new house in Florida now lent,there are no guarantees. ' run between Therefore, communities are in- They often amount$3,700 amount ,'than and creasingly using impact fees $2,000 per new home iii Virginia. , taxes, really—to• get money up, In Durham, before adding' on. front. new fees the coun But there should be caution.Im- should examine the f Wake pact fees in Durham should be fair Orange and other nearby comities.' and competitive with what other They should also consider the ef- counties and munipalities are feet present impact fees have'had charging. The'fees are not ulti- on housing costs and whether Dur, mately paid by the developer, but =ham is'closing the door, to afford- by the people who buy and use the 'able housing. • property,including homeowners. It may be politically .easy' to There is an issue of fairness. .charge' developers for additional Consider•a homeowner in a new costs of• public services.' But tax development that was affected by fairness and affordable housing impact fees. That homeowner pays should be considered as well. is • 4-