Utah, South Carolina, Florida, and Colorado initiatives are discussed. Impact fees significantly reduce the burden on small town governments to pay for capital facilities necessitated by new development. Describes how an impact fee program in St. Albans, Vermont, helped offset costs in providing additional facilities and services related to parks and recreation, law enforcement, the library, fire protection, road equipment, and schools. These fees are levied against new residential units to offset the additional costs to a school district. A sidebar summarizes variation in state laws pertaining to impact fees and cites some legal challenges to their imposition.
Builders can fight impact fees by assuring schools are being built when they are needed.
Other suggestions to minimize impact fees are discussed, and a list of ten characteristics of an equitable fee ordinance provided.