Manatee County should restore impact fees for schools, infrastructure

When we built our home, we paid significant impact fees. We understood the need for infrastructure and schools and were OK with paying. House prices were rapidly rising, mortgage deals abounded (the 1 percent mortgage was truly hard to believe).

Then came the "Great Recession." People were allowed to purchase with literally no equity, etc. We lost considerable value in our brand new home and our community suffered from many foreclosures.

Many walked away, some with valid reasons; others milked the system much like many mortgage finance people did. While the economic times have improved, there remains much loss for those who guessed wrong on timing, like us.

Enter new residents.

While I can understand lessening and cancelling impact fees during the economic recession, it is time to have people pay their share of infrastructure and school costs. We have done our part and shouldn't shoulder more than our fair share

Too much building, now you say.

I told my out-of-state friends about our beautiful conservation areas and the signs that delineate them, and I also had to tell them that if a builder wants to purchase the land and build, they just move the signs.

Bring back impact fees. We all need to pay our fair share.

Donna Mulig

Bradenton

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee County should restore impact fees for schools, infrastructure ."