Manatee planners recommend ordinance to update impact fees after consultant finds rising infrastructure costs

Manatee County planning commissioners recommended adopting an ordinance to update the county—s impact fees after staff and a consultant presented a technical study showing large increases in the cost to add infrastructure. The planning commission voted 6-0 to recommend adoption of ordinance 25-15 and forward the proposal to the Board of County Commissioners for its public hearings.

The consultant described a consumption-based methodology that charges new development only for new capacity, then subtracts other funding credits such as sales tax and general fund contributions. Rachel Layton, the county—s impact fee administrator, and consultant Megan Kemp of Panish presented the study to the commission and answered commissioners— questions about methodology and next steps.

The study estimated that for residential uses the updated total fees would range broadly: single-family examples were presented in a range of about $13,000 to $32,000 depending on size, and multifamily about…