Hendry County Commissioners are proposing new fees(taxes) due to housing growth in Western Hendry County (Labelle).
The County commissioners are saying they need to do this because of a new housing development of 700 homes in an area that was previously developed by a developer who went bankrupt. Now a new developer is going to build $400,000 homes and wants Hendry County to upgrade the sewer system, schools, medical facilities, ems, fire stations and roads. Only according to Hendry County Management there is no funding for infrastructure.
NOTES from previous workshops:
Most of the residents who will buy these homes will be employed in Lee County. Some of the kids that will attend the schools in LaBelle will come from Glades County where there are no impact fees.
Labelle's major employer is Hendry County Government which all the tax payers of Hendry County pay their salaries, vacations, medical insurance, retirement.
From Mid County to Clewiston the major Employers are Farmers who provide fresh food, fresh water, and fresh air for all of Hendry County. Many of their workers are migrants which does burden the hospital system and schools in Eastern Hendry County. They are not property owners.
The current affordable home builders have said that the income in Hendry County cannot support the pricing of the new homes based on the job market in Hendry County. They are losing sales everyday.
Now the Commissioners want to place Impact fees on any and all new development. This means if you live on the Clewiston side of Hendry County you are going to pay for these impact fees for new development in LaBelle even though you will not benefit from these improvements.
The term DEVELOPER has not been defined by the commissioners. Does it mean if you want to open a new business that you will to pay the impact fee or if you own property and you want to build a single home are you going to be charged the impact fee, or if you want to put a new Manufactured home on your property you are going to pay the impact fee or does it mean only new Planned Unit Developments. Will these fees apply to everyone in Hendry County?
These impact fees will not be used for the maintenance of preexisting roads, or operations of the medical facilities or the firestations or ems. They will only be used for constructing new school facilities, roads and underground connections to the new sewer and water plants.
When all of these facities are built they will need more funding for operations and that means that everyone in Hendry County will be taxed again.
History of impact fees in Hendry County.
- Previously impact fees were charged and the Developers(Bonita Bay)who made big promises went bankrupt and nothing got done. What happened to all the money that was collected from Bonita Bay before they went bankrupt?
- Small mom and pop business were unable to afford the extra startup costs burdened by these fees.
- The population of Hendry Country slowed from the 1990 Comprehensive Plan projections.
- School enrollments have not increased in several years and more kids are now going to virtual schools or home schooling.
- Many of the Manufactured home sales organizations closed.
- Rental incomes increased which benefitted those that can afford to own.
Additional imput from AI:
The following is what AI says about the Pros and cons of impact fees on New Developments.
New development impact fees can benefit Hendry County residents in several ways ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵.
- Firstly, these fees help ensure that new development projects contribute to the cost of providing public facilities and services. This means that existing residents won't have to bear the burden of increased taxes or reduced quality of services.
- Secondly, impact fees can be used to fund additional public infrastructure and services necessitated by new development. This includes things like schools, roads, and utilities.
- Lastly, impact fees can help mitigate the impact of growth on public infrastructure and services. This means that the quality of life for existing residents can be maintained, even as the county grows and develops.
- It's worth noting that impact fees are typically a one-time payment made by developers or property owners at the time of obtaining building permits ³.
New Development Impact fees can have some negative impacts on Hendry County, FL, including:
- Increased housing costs: Developers may pass the cost of impact fees to homebuyers, making housing less affordable.
- Reduced development: Excessive impact fees can discourage development, potentially limiting economic growth and job opportunities.
- Delayed or cancelled projects: High impact fees can make projects financially unviable, leading to delays or cancellations.
- Reduced competitiveness: Hendry County may become less attractive to developers compared to neighboring counties with lower impact fees.
- Increased costs for small businesses and farmers: Impact fees can be a burden for small businesses, farmers, and rural landowners, potentially limiting their growth and investment.
- Potential for over-collection: If impact fees are set too high, the county may collect more revenue than needed, potentially leading to inefficient use of funds.
- Impact on low-income and affordable housing: High impact fees can make it more challenging to develop affordable housing, exacerbating existing housing affordability issues.
- Potential legal challenges: Developers or property owners may contest impact fees in court, leading to legal expenses and potential refunds. It's essential for Hendry County to strike a balance between collecting necessary revenue for infrastructure and services while avoiding excessive fees that could harm the local economy and residents.
All though the Commissioners are listening to the pros and cons of Impact fees on our Communitties they say there is no other way. They will be holding one more workshop meeting on Aug 27th @labelle chamber 6PM, before they vote on this issue that effects all of us. PLEASE make your voices heard or all of you will be paying the bill for new Developments in Western Hendry County.
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