York County approves first reading of Fort Mill School District impact fee despite community debate

York County Council approved first reading on March 3 of an ordinance to adopt impact fees for new residential development inside the Fort Mill School District. The ordinance would set maximum allowable impact fees at $29,640 for a single-family detached dwelling and $20,796 for a multifamily dwelling, and would authorize an intergovernmental agreement between York County and the Fort Mill School District governing collection and use of the fees under York County ordinance No. 27-18.

School district and consultant presentations: Fort Mill School District officials and consultants told council the fees are designed to pay for projected school capacity needs driven by ongoing enrollment growth. Leanne Lourdo, associate superintendent and CFO for Fort Mill School District, said the district previously secured an impact-fee program in 2018 and has since submitted substantial fee-funded reimbursement requests for recent school construction; she said the district has collected tens of millions in impact-fee revenue and aims to minimize bonded debt for new schools.

Ben Griffin of Tishler Bice summarized the updated impact-fee study: the study calculates student-generation rates (0.545 students per single-family unit and 0.384 per multifamily unit in the district’s data), the square feet per student to maintain existing levels of service, and construction and land cost factors to derive a capital cost per student. The study cites large increases in construction and land costs since the previous study as the main drivers of higher maximum fees. Griffin’s slide materials showed a proposed fee roughly in the same range as the ordinance’s numbers though some presentation slides contained slightly different intermediate figures.

Public comment divided: Dozens of speakers addressed the public hearing. Supporters — including long-time residents, realtors, local business and the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce — said impact fees help “growth pay for growth,” reduce school debt and preserve tax relief for existing residents. Several speakers said prior fee collections have allowed the district to avoid issuing bonded debt and to fund new schools with less impact on the tax rate.

Opponents argued the fees increase housing costs and will be passed to homebuyers, hurting would-be homeowners and raising affordability concerns. Some residents asked council to delay the fee until other unresolved local issues — notably community concerns about the Silfab plant and its legal status — are resolved and actual enrollment numbers can be verified in the fall. One commenter, who said the Silfab matter is before a judge, urged council not to adopt new fees until safety and enrollment impacts are settled.

Council discussion and action: Council members asked technical questions about how fees are calculated, allowable credit types, statutory requirements on timeliness of spending, and the necessity of updating the study to change the maximum permissible fee. Staff and consultants explained South Carolina rules on impact fees: fees must be deposited in a separate interest-bearing account, spent on capital projects within statutory timelines, and updated through a new study if the county wants to change the maximum allowable fee before the five-year review cycle.

After public comment and questions, council voted to approve first reading of the impact-fee ordinance. The ordinance will return for two additional readings and a final public hearing before adoption. The council recorded the motion and its passage by voice vote; the transcript does not list a roll-call tally.

Clarifying notes from the meeting record: the ordinance text introduced at the meeting lists maximum fees as $29,640 (single-family) and $20,796 (multifamily); consultant slide materials referenced nearby numbers for proposed fees and detailed the study methodology, student-generation rates and cost factors that feed into those caps. Councilmembers and several speakers urged careful stewardship of collected funds and noted statutory constraints (York County ordinance No. 27-18; state impact-fee procedures referenced by counsel).