The League of Women Voters of Orange, Durham and Chatham counties hosted a panel Wednesday to discuss the implications of House Bill 436, which removes counties' and municipalities' abilities to place impact fees on developers.
Staff writer Kaia Findlay live-tweeted the meeting.
Up at 7: League of Women Voters of Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties hosts a discussion of House Bill 436
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
House Bill 436 would take away counties' ability to place impact fees on new construction--fees that fund roads, utilities and schools.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
"It's generally true that housing development doesn't pay for itself." -Patrick McHugh, economic analyst, on purpose of impact fees
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
HB 436 has been pending action in House Finance Committee since April 5, but is scheduled to be heard tomorrow morning.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
"House Bill 436 could make it much more likely that property taxes have to be raised," McHugh said.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
Debra Henzey, Director of Community Relations for Chatham County, said that their county is one of the fastest growing in the state.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
Nine to 11 new schools will be needed in Chatham County in the next 20 years. "How do we pay for that without the impact fee?" Henzey said.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
Annette Moore, interim director of Orange County Deptartment of Housing, spoke on behalf of Chapel Hill and Orange County.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
Orange County would see a 1.7 cent tax increase on all property if impact fee revenue was lost, Moore said.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
Assistant Superintendent Todd Lofrese adressed the audience to describe HB 436's impacts on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
Numbers from Lofrese: many school facilities are 40-60 years old, and identified facility needs total $300 million.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
League of Women Voters noted that they were unable to get any panelists in favor of the bill.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
"Is growth harming the state?" asked Krishna Mondal of the League of Women Voters. Stopping growth is an unintended consequence, Moore said
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
"Local governments actually know a thing or two about the local economy," McHugh said, on why power to levy fees shouldn't be taken away.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
House Bill 436 has a companion bill--HB 406 specifically takes away impact fee levying from Chapel Hill and Orange County.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
The vague language of HB 436l may turn away even some who are opposed to impact fees, McHugh said.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 19, 2017
The panelists clarified that impact fees impact residential development and do not apply to commercial developments.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 20, 2017
With no more questions from the audience, the League of Women Voters closed out the discussion.
— Kaia Findlay (@kaia_findlay) April 20, 2017
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