Consultant says, cut Lee County taxes

Why does it have to take consultants to tell Lee County commissioners that they should lower taxes on new construction?

We say get rid of these onerous taxes and the consultants who feed off of them.

Lee County commissioners have been tone deaf to local business owners who complain to them about high taxes. These taxes on new construction, which go by the harmless-sounding name “impact fees,” send an anti-business message and hinder the recovery in an area where the unemployment rate remains above a dismal 11%.

Now, consultants tell commissioners the taxes on new construction for road building can be lowered by as much 46%.

Gee, did Lee County commissioners really need consultants to tell them that? After all, the cost to build new roads has fallen dramatically as municipalities shrink their budgets.

Here's our recommendation: Scrap these taxes altogether and help speed up the recovery. We'll be waiting for our consulting fee.