Today’s article about the City Council’s discussion of impact fees indicates that at the present time there are no such fees in Salisbury – and that’s flat wrong.
About five years ago, the City imposed a fee – called a capacity fee – on new development for expansion of the sewer and water systems. And residential development is also subject to Wicomico County’s school impact fee.
For a single-family home, those fees total about $15,000, I believe. And there are the traditional fees for building permit, water meter, etc. It would not surprise to see that the total of all City and County fees and charges to build a typical home in Salisbury now exceed $20,000. These fees and charges (except the school fee) also apply to the non-residential development that creates jobs. And it is clear that they have discouraged some growth – recall the brew pub that wanted to locate at the old train station.
Besides all of the fees and charges, the City also requires substantial funding by developers for upgraded public infrastructure in order to get permits and approvals to develop. Salisbury is a very expensive place to build and develop already.
Someone needs to tell Jim Ireton that the property and other taxes that result from growth furnish funds to obtain trash trucks and snow plows. And please tell him that he can’t pass an adequate public facility ordinance (“APFO”) – only the City Council can.
Kudos to the City Council for saying “no new fees” at this time.
PS – it’s not often that I agree with Gary Comegys folks!
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
18 comments:
Ireton is against development except in the inner city.
Back when Jim-Beau was on the City Council, he voted with Mr. Gillis -- to repeal the impact fees that were then in place.
Ireton looks like a complete idiot. He bashes the Council, but when he was on it he was against impact fees. And an adequate public facilities ordinance would be a fiasco.
The City needs to completely reexamine how it is placing a huge burden on development just when it needs to have as much as possible.
Can't you tell him?
Hey Joe, word (fact) just came down that The County hired a new person in the purchasing department. From what I understand, the County was supposed to be under a hiring freeze. The County also has a Job opening for an accountant in the Finance Department (which has increased manpower since the onset of their new accounting software that was supposed to "streamline and improve the efficiency of" the County's accounting).
That being said, how responsible and reasonable is this?! We have huge budget problems and the current County employees (expect the BOE) were forced to take furloughs to assist in alleviating budget stress. There have been talks of layoffs, consolidation of job tasks and overall downsizing, but yet they still hire this new personel? Something has got to give!
That brew pub didn't go down just because of capacity fees. Tom Knorr wanted the city to pay for brand new paving, a half million dollar fence in the back to obstruct the view of the ghetto, and other things. Then he told the city that if they didn't do it, he would tell everyone it was just because of capacity fees. it was a lie, and if wanted those things, he should have paid for it. It's not something that needs to be put on the taxpayer's backs.
This taxpayer is sick of hearing developers cry the blues.
Gary Comegys gave all OUR money away to his developer buddies in good times.
Just another vote for the good ole boys. Thought you were against that, Joe.
Jim Ireton doesnt know what he is doing that is obvious. We need a mayor not a little boy playing mayor who likes getting his picture taken.
11:24-
You obviously don't do development in Salisbury, and you are not alone because most developers have stopped doing things here because of the attitude in the GOB.
The developers employed many people in this town so don't be so hard to bite the hand that fed a large portion of the community. The people complaining about the developers are not an informed bunch. They have taken the biggest hit in this economy not to mention it takes many years to get their money out of their investment.
They are all sitting on land that they have to do something with. If Salisbury/county isnt building, its dead.
They stopped doing business here because the Salisbury Public Works is an impossible agency to deal with. The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. Why do you think they can't keep a director.
Gillis, Comegys, Smith & Shields. Four of the most dangerosu people in Salsibury.
There are impact fees but they only impose them on people that are not in the Comegys/Tilghman clique. They imposed impact fees on that small church on Dagsboro road but not on the developers of the Hearne Annexation or the developers out on the road to nowhere. In fact they paid the developer nearly a half million dollars for land that was donated to the city for a road out there. If they are going to impose impact fees they need to impose them for ALL not just a few. OH and the Westwood commercial park was supposed to give 1.5 million for a water tower that they decided they weren't going to do it after all. Then the Brown Farm annexation is supposed to donate a million towards a new ladder truck for their development. The list just goes on and on.
4:52, you are so right! When I read the DT today, I almost choked on my coffee. Gary Comegys is the last person who should be commenting on any of this after what he did to us.
A little puke came up into my nose when you said you agreed with Comegys. Will lots of mouthwash help?
Embrace the impact fees, otherwise the taxpayers are subsidizing development. Is that what you want?
4:52 -
You confuse the City's impact fee with annexation charges. The only reason that the sewer and water impact fee has not been paid on any development at the Hearne property is because it has not started yet. As it is developed, the fees will be paid.
Please get your facts straight before ranting.
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