Debate Heats Up Over Road Impact Fees
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Updated: April 13, 2007
Tuesday, Fayetteville residents will vote on new developers paying road impact fees for building in the city. The two groups on opposite sides of this issue agree on one thing-- that Fayetteville`s roads could use some sprucing up, but they strongly disagree over who should foot the bill. The road impact fees, if passed, would establish a one-time fee new developers would have to pay to build inside Fayetteville city limits. That money would be used only for road improvements and maintenance.
The group "Vote for Fayetteville" - which supports the impact fees- says that would add $3.4 million more a year to the city`s road funds. But the opposing group- "Citizens 4 Fayetteville"- says making developers pay more will drive business away, resulting in lower sales tax revenue for the city.
"If the city`s not growing, the only way cities can get money is increasing property taxes and so people who have been living in Fayetteville for a long time, their property taxes would be increased," says Pam Jones, Citizens 4 Fayetteville Chairperson.
Not so say the "Vote for Fayetteville" group, they argue a fee isn`t going to keep businesses from setting up shop here.
"Fayetteville is number eight in the nation for where businesses want to locate, and I don`t think that`s going anywhere," says Alderman Lioneld Jordan.
The "Citizens 4 Fayetteville" group says it will be the home buyer or renter hurting in the end, because they say developers will have to raise their prices to make up for the fee.
"This is unfair, it`s taxation w/o representation and it hurts the end user, it hurts the city of Fayetteville. It is a short-term fix to a long-term problem," Jones says."This impact fee is only on new development...if we change the impact fees the people creating the impact on the city with the new development and the people buying into that will pay an impact fee and the rest of the long-term residents of this city- it won`t cost them a dime," says Jordan.
The group "Vote for Fayetteville" - which supports the impact fees- says that would add $3.4 million more a year to the city`s road funds. But the opposing group- "Citizens 4 Fayetteville"- says making developers pay more will drive business away, resulting in lower sales tax revenue for the city.
"If the city`s not growing, the only way cities can get money is increasing property taxes and so people who have been living in Fayetteville for a long time, their property taxes would be increased," says Pam Jones, Citizens 4 Fayetteville Chairperson.
Not so say the "Vote for Fayetteville" group, they argue a fee isn`t going to keep businesses from setting up shop here.
"Fayetteville is number eight in the nation for where businesses want to locate, and I don`t think that`s going anywhere," says Alderman Lioneld Jordan.
The "Citizens 4 Fayetteville" group says it will be the home buyer or renter hurting in the end, because they say developers will have to raise their prices to make up for the fee.
"This is unfair, it`s taxation w/o representation and it hurts the end user, it hurts the city of Fayetteville. It is a short-term fix to a long-term problem," Jones says."This impact fee is only on new development...if we change the impact fees the people creating the impact on the city with the new development and the people buying into that will pay an impact fee and the rest of the long-term residents of this city- it won`t cost them a dime," says Jordan.
