Each new unit of construction puts additional strain on roads, schools, utilities, police, fire and other infrastructure in the community. Impact fees are charged on new construction so that the new growth and development will pay its fair share for infrastructure already in place and for the additions that will be needed to accommodate the new development.

 “Growth should pay for growth and should not become a burden to existing taxpayers.” CommonSenseGovernment will continually lobby to insure that impact fees are sufficient to accomplish this goal.

The building industry generally oppose impact fees because it appears to make new development more expensive. They would much rather see current taxpayers subsidize the cost of new development by providing the infrastructure free of charge.

CommonSenseGovernment takes the following positions:

Impact fees should be sufficient to insure that new development pays for all additional infrastructure including such items as government buildings, parks, schools, fire and rescue equipment.

Impact fees should be fare and equitably levied on all units of new construction with no exception or special favors such as those now granted to high-rise buildings.

Developers argue that high-rise buildings generate less use of the roads than single-family homes. We say nonsense just because high rises tend to have more seasonal residents that generate fewer trips on the road we still have to provide the roads to accommodate them at peak periods. Perhaps, high rises should pay more because they tend to create more localized congestion because of their high density and they certainly place more demands on fire and rescue equipment.

The city of Bonita Springs is five years behind where we should be on impact fees. The City Council recently approved a token increase that does not even come close to the goal of growth paying for growth.

Impact fees should be automatically increased each year just like property taxes are automatically adjusted each year.