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While COVID-19 has halted land use meetings in Hillsborough County until at least June, discussions on raising impact and mobility fees stay on schedule. On April 15, 2020, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted to press forward consideration of these fees during a previously-scheduled budget workshop on April 28, 2020. At that workshop, the Board will consider increased fees for water/wastewater, AGRF, mobility, and parks.
Given the wide impacts of COVID-19, some commissioners hesitated to increase fees for monthly payers while the emergency is affecting residents. The County's budget is also expected to decrease due to the COVID-19 emergency. After noting those funding limitations, a number of commissioners suggested that development fees could be used to help cover deficiencies.
The coming workshop will shed more light on what those proposed fees could be, but based on recent studies, the following chart summarizes the potential for fees that are more than doubled:
Fees for 2,000 s.f. home
|
Fee
|
Current |
Proposed |
Water/Wastewater
|
$3,550
|
$5,594
|
AGRF
|
$0
|
$1,822
|
Mobility (Urban)
|
$5,094
|
$7,401
|
Parks
|
$325
|
$2,516
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Total
|
$8,969
|
$17,333
|
School
(already approved)
|
$4,000
|
$8,595
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Total w/ School
|
$12,969
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$25,928
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These increases would follow the approved school impact fee increase taking effect in June. The chart does not capture the additional costs to future homeowners in the form of proportionate share mitigation agreements due to school concurrency seat shortfalls in various areas of the county, most notably in south Hillsborough County. Unfortunately, the additional school impact fee funding will not remedy the shortage of seats in the near future.
With the coming workshop proceeding as scheduled in spite of COVID-19 challenges, developers and landowners need to stay engaged in these issues.
There are still opportunities for landowners, developers, and homebuilders to engage with commissioners and staff on these issues.
Stearns Weaver Miller's growing Land Development, Zoning & Environmental team has been involved since the beginning of this process and are continuing to monitor the effects that changing land use and development policies will have on ongoing, proposed, and future projects in Hillsborough County. Please
contact Stearns Weaver Miller should you have any questions.
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