Manatee County school board should cut link between sales tax vote, impact fee discount
On Tuesday, the Manatee County School Board will weigh the wisdom of linking voter passage of a referendum extending the half-cent sales tax to setting a discounted impact fee schedule. County commissioners approved the ballot measure in January with some pointed displeasure.
And some in the community are expressing outrage at such a dubious pairing, which looks like an accommodation to home builders and developers.
Should the board approve a reversal and return to Superintendent Diana Greene's original recommendation -- that impacts fees take a glide path upon implementation later this month. The first year, the district will charge 50 percent of the maximum allowed rate as calculated independent consultant in a state-mandated study, 75 percent the following year and then 100 percent in the third year and thereafter. The board unwisely then approved a proviso: Should the sales tax pass during the expected November vote, the impact fee would remain at 50 percent and not rise.
School impact fees apply to new residential development and are restricted to projects associated to new school construction and handling growth issues in the school system.
The half-cent sales tax sunsets in 2017. The levy raises far more revenue than impact fees and can be spent on more projects than state law on impact fees.
Two county commissioners expressed dismay during January's 5-2 vote to approve the board's misguided linkage of the two issues. Charles Smith expressed what others in the community are thinking -- that they will vote against the sales tax extension because of that connection, though that is not in the best interests of the school district and residents.
Opponents of the proviso do not want builders to be let off the hook for the full fee. The school system could well use that revenue.
Decoupling the sales tax and impact fee would remove any confusion over the ballot language and likely help secure passage of the extension. We urge the board to take that action.
This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee County school board should cut link between sales tax vote, impact fee discount ."