Orange County currently charges an “impact fee” on developers to pay for a portion of the cost of providing public services to the proposed development. But a new bill in the North Carolina General Assembly could end that.

Impact fees in Orange County are used for school construction or expansion. But earlier this week, Representative Sarah Stevens filed House Bill 406 in the state legislature that proposed getting rid of the fees in Orange County.

Orange County Board of Commission chair Mark Dorosin says the fees are important for schools and generate almost $3 million of revenue per year. He says if the county can no longer charge the fees, it will have to raise money another way.

“If that money goes away, when it comes time to build new schools, we’re going to have to resort to the only revenue generation source we have, which is property taxes.”

Dorosin says complaints about impact fees have never been an issue, but there are already complaints about high property taxes.

“Drive down Homestead Road and tell me if there’s anybody who’s had disincentive on building huge new residential developments. What we hear more frequently is that the residential property tax in this community is far too high.”

The county currently calculates an impact fee by taking into consideration the type of housing and number of bedrooms in the development. The county also uses data about current housing and what types of revenue that housing can generate before charging the fee.

Dorosin says the bill could become a reality, after Stevens filed a second bill this week – House Bill 436. The newest bill calls for a repeal of all regulatory fees charged by local governments across the state.

“Republicans have a super majority in the legislature and despite the best efforts that our local delegation will make, if they’re determined to push this through, I think it will likely pass.”

Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger says both bills are an example of state government encroaching too much on local counterparts.

“This is no way to govern. This is bullying. This is trying to apply your philosophy and your dictatorship over a community that’s not yours. Why would a representative from the western part of the state tell Orange County or any county – but let’s just take Orange County and Chapel Hill and Carrboro and Hillsborough – what to do?”

Both HB406 and HB436 have been referred to the Committee on State and Local Government.

Related Stories
‹
10 Tips in Making it Through the College Application Process
College application season is upon us and finally all that hard work is going to pay off. Students are busy writing their essays, moms and dads are busy trying not to nag, and college admission’s counselors are traveling at neck breaking speed around the nation trying to encourage applicants to apply. Here are a few tips […]
Unrestrained Joy
Something happens when your kids go back to school. Your life, if you’re a stay-at-home mom or dad, becomes a conveyor belt. You, your kids get up, eat, they leave for school, you restore your house to some sort of order, volunteer, do some contractual work, they return from school, eat, do homework, and eat […]
Orange County Governments Commemorate Pride Month, to Host Events
The towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough are all celebrating and commemorating Pride Month this June with several events and public displays of support.
Groups Protest Gun Violence, 'White Nationalist Terrorism' at Hillsborough Rally
Protesters gathered at the historic courthouse in Hillsborough on Saturday calling for action on gun safety legislation and linking recent shootings to growing acts of “white nationalist terrorism” across the country. A coalition of groups locally and from across the state gathered for Saturday’s press conference following multiple shootings in recent weeks where more than […]
Chapel Hill, Carrboro Mayors Respond to Recent ICE Raids in North Carolina
Seven mayors from across North Carolina signed on to a letter condemning the recent actions by ICE across the state. Among those who signed were Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger and Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle. “I’m hoping we’ll get even more mayors to sign on to say, ‘we really do condemn these activities that ICE […]
CHCCS Board Member James Barrett Running for State Superintendent in 2020
Chapel Hill – Carrboro City Schools Board of Education member James Barrett announced Friday he will not seek re-election this fall. Barrett is gearing up for a run as the Democratic candidate for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction. Barrett said in an interview with WCHL Friday afternoon that this is “a chance to do […]
Closings Announced Ahead of Hurricane Florence
Chapel Hill – Carrboro City School officials said Tuesday that schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday, ahead of the expected impact of Hurricane Florence. The Category 4 storm continues to approach North Carolina and is expected to make landfall Friday morning, but it’s effects could be felt well before it reaches the coast. […]
State, Local Officials Team Up for July 4 Safety Reminders
The North Carolina Department of Transportation, State Highway Patrol and local law enforcement are joining forces in an effort to keep residents safe through the July Fourth holiday. The highway patrol launched Operation Firecracker last week stepping up drunk-driving enforcement across the state. Troopers investigated 248 vehicle collisions last year on July Fourth, according to […]
Budget Corrections Bill Would Allow Durham-Orange Light Rail to Move Forward
The technical corrections bill passed both chambers of the legislature and now awaits the signature of Governor Roy Cooper to become law.**** After appearing, once again, to be targeted by the North Carolina General Assembly, it seems as though the Durham-Orange Light Rail project has fought off its impending death. The 17.7-mile light rail […]
Budget Proposal Targets Durham-Orange Light Rail Funding
North Carolina Republican legislators unveiled their budget proposal late on Memorial Day. Durham Democratic state senator Floyd McKissick said that in three lines the budget “placed in jeopardy the future funding of the light rail system between Durham and Chapel Hill.” McKissick and other local elected officials have derided the budget and the process Republican […]
›