FAQ

here you will find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions about impact fees

Effect of Fees:

• Who actually pays the impact fee (incidence)?

  In the short-term, impact fees may cause a slight increase in housing costs if the local real estate market allows the builder to shift the cost forward to the buyer. However, in the long-term it is more than likely that the cost will be shifted backwards to landowners in the form of lower prices that may be bid for undeveloped land.

• Do impact fees negatively affect local move-up homebuyers?

  No, if the price of new housing actually rises because of impact fees, then the value of existing housing will follow suit because it is an integral part of the local real estate market. Current move-up homebuyers who move up will be able to use their "windfall profits" to pay for the increased costs of the new home. As they say, "a rising tide lifts all boats".

• How do impact fees benefit existing, as well as new residents?

  Adoption of impact fees reduces pressure on local residents to raise taxes and fees. And with new development paying for its own capacity-enhancing infrastructure needs, any current funds that have been designated to pay for those projects can be shifted to the more immediate needs of existing residents, such as for facility maintenance and rehabilitation.

• Are impact fees a no-growth tool?

  No. Just the opposite is true. Impact fees facilitate growth by expediting development approvals, increasing the amount of developable lands, and reducing citizen opposition to new growth.