Manatee plans to reduce fees

BRADENTON — Manatee County commissioners voted to move forward to extend impact fee reductions until July 2013. Specifically, all school-related impact fees and half of all transportation-related impact fees are scheduled to be suspended for another two years.

The commission will hold a public hearing later, after which it will vote on final approval.

The fee suspension, which was first approved in 2009, reduced fees owed on the construction of a new three-bedroom home from $15,576 to roughly $5,500, according to an example offered by the county in a statement.

“No cost will be transferred to Manatee County residents,” assured county Administrator Ed Hunzeker, “and no road will become a Level of Service 'F' as a result of this action.”

In the spring, Hunzeker will present the commission with updated recommendations for future impact fee levels based on a pending independent study.

Governments all along Florida's Gulf Coast have been reducing impact fees to spur construction activity over the past few years. The Business Review featured the trend in a December issue.