Believe me when I say that I fully understand that there are many more properties for sale on the market now than normal. I also fully understand that that a house on the market now will likely stay on the market for a year or more, depending on the cost. But I commend the commentor who made the following comment and encourage them to provide the spreadsheet he/she described. It is good to have as much information as possible so that people can form a more educated opinion on the matter. The comment went like this:
"First off I want to meet the guy who writes the check in the amount of $15,250.00 for an impact fee.(And yes you are right on target for the proposed amount)The reason being, I think the man or woman should be submitted immediately for a complete psychological evaluation. I don't care if it is Mr. Ruark, Causey, Centex, Americraft, Glass, Ryan, or old Joe Blow homeowner.What is most confounding. . . I guess our elected leaders have never heard of trickle-down economics - (Ronald Reagan). What they have done with enactment of these exorbitant fees have actually reduced the revenue stream into the county coffers by raising an economic barrier that thwarts construction. If you examine the sales tax revenues for lumber and millwork you will see that it has been dramatically reduced as a result of enactment of the impact fees. Thus, the enactment has been counter-productive. Bottom line. . . the enactment of impact fees has actually caused a reduction in sales tax revenues which exceeds the money generated from the impact fees.You can easily verify these sales tax collection figures by contacting the Maryland Comptroller's office.I've got the spreadsheet for Wicomico and it is stunning."
I don't see where people are buying fewer houses than pre 9/11. We became so accustomed to the "fat" times that came about as a result of the incredibly low interest rates which were imposed too rapidly in attempts to stimulate the economy after 9/11, that we forgot where we came from as a nation. Now we have so many new and vacant houses on the market that perspective buyers can be extremely picky.......it's a buyers market after all. Think about it. There are more and more people growing up, starting families, and looking for houses of their own. There will always be people looking for houses. Now, however, with fuel prices through the roof, people are looking to save money anywhere they can. If counties and municipalities are creating impact fees which are too high, the people will buy elsewhere.......and the counties/municipalities are cutting off their proverbial noses to spite their faces. Unless, of course, the ulterior motive is to slow growth in certain areas. It's gonna take some time for everything gets back to some degree of normalcy. Until it does, we must make certain that our local govts. weigh carefully both sides of the impact such fees have on our community. If what the commentor says is true, these fees are more of a "cash right now " type of decision, rather than one which will benefit the communities in the future.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
9 comments:
lets not forget the almost $1000.00 water meter tap fee and the cost of running the water and sewer pipes to the new properties in pittsville. also what ever the electric put in will cost also.grand dad you are smart by buying older homes in the town that already have the services installed does not matter what shape they are in or if you have to tear them down you still saving 25 grand in money you do not see workin for you.by the way nice job on the old benham property across from the school.
No impact fees for new housing?
Then don't whine when your taxes go up to support new roads, new pipes, new schools, new firehouses, new cop cars, etc.
Construction is down all over the country, whether a place has impact fees or not.
Thanks, but I've subsidized developers enough in this city and county. We've had a bunch of growth here, and I have less money in my pocket.
I'd like to see your buddy G.A. Harrison weigh in on this one. I remember when he was supporting We Care About Wicomico County about managing growth.
Maybe places like Pittsville want the place to remain the same, thus the size of impact fee's.
Who in their right mind would want their small town image to become another Salisbury? If Salisbury had impact fee's instead of gifting developers with TIF's, we wouldn't have so many growing pains. Is it possible that impact fee's may have slowed down the uncontrolled overgrowth if it had already been in place?
impact fees = "growth pays for growth".
Stop whining, unless you want to have much higher property taxes or you name is Ruark, Rinnier, Hanna, etc.
If my name was Ruark, Rinnier, Hanna, Elliott, the city would be paying me to develop any patch of grass I wanted to develop and they'd pay for the services to be run to my development, including a lift station. Since my last name is none of the above I'll have to stick to remodeling because I can't afford to develop anything in this area.
When an impact fee is paid by a developer it gets added into the costs and thereby becomes a higher price for the consumer. What's not fair is that an entry-level home for $160,000 pays the EXACT impact fee that a $500,000 custom home pays. What's fair about that?
How about making it a percentage of the price to construct, or maybe charging per-sq. ft., or having the first $150,000 exempt.
Or maybe give a rebate to first time home buyers.
When an unimproved parcel of land becomes a home site, the tax bill for the lot is substantially increased. Isn't that "growth paying for growth"?
I hear all of the belly aching about 'growth pays for growth'.
Pardon my french, but who in their right mind would pay exhorbitant impact fees in the amounts posted.
With the disclosed fees proposed for say Pittsville - ($15,250.00) before building permits, water taps, sewer taps, electrical, and who knows what else, THERE AIN'T GOING TO BE ANY MORE GROWTH. . PERIOD.
Can anybody answer this question, WHERE ARE THESE SO CALLED HIGH PAYING JOBS TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AROUND HERE? According to a recent posting, there were 50 key employers listed that have left our area. Some were big hitters. They are all gone.
I guess it will work just like Maryland's proposed cigarette tax philosophy.
Maryland thought they could just keep raising cigarette tax so much that it would generate so much excess revenue. . . and what has happened. The people either quit smoking or went across state lines to retrieve their merchandise.
IT BACKFIRED TO.
I think the names of the folks that came up with the # 15250., should be posted for the public. I think everyone in Wic. co has the right to know, of course I'd like to hear their reasoning as well.
hip.boots
delaware has impact fees, developers must upgrade water, sewer, put up street lights, sidewalks, stormwater management, you name it
no impact fees in salisbury yet there is more developement going on in delaware. people have stopped building here because it is no longer the rural setting it once was, people don't want to move here any longer, the ones that do live here wish they could flip their homes and move
salisbury also gives our future tax dollars away to developers to build what? all i hear is talk, $21 million in TIF give-a-ways, what have the developers built or upgraded to date? how is that lake going at "village of the lake" old mall scam?
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