Glades County extends suspension of road, park, school and EMS impact fees through March 2026

Glades County commissioners voted unanimously March 11 to extend temporary suspensions of four categories of development impact fees — road, park, public education and emergency medical services — while the county finishes an updated impact-fee study.

The board approved four separate ordinances to continue suspensions that originated after the 2008 economic downturn. Commissioner Susan Bouchon summarized the county nd ordinance history and the financial effect of not collecting the fees over the period Jan. 1, 2024 ec. 31, 2024, saying the road impact fees for that period would have totaled about $134,634 and that all four categories combined would have totaled about $1,164,706.35 had fees been collected.

The suspensions extend the county—xisting practice while consultants complete a Central Florida study the county expects to receive by May 2025. County staff and legal counsel told the board the adopted suspension language allows the board to resume collection at any time before March 13, 2026, by ordinance.

Commissioners and staff discussed how impact-fee revenue may be used. County staff explained that road impact fees must be spent in the area where they are collected but can be allocated within a defined region and paired with other funding sources, and that impact fees are intended to pay for increased capacity caused by new development rather than routine maintenance. Staff also said the county must conform to statutory "use it or lose it" windows (roughly a five- to seven-year period) after which unspent fees may need to be refunded.

Public comment at the hearings was limited. Resident Gary Blake asked whether park impact-fee revenues could be pooled for regional park projects as opposed to strictly local park improvements; staff confirmed local and regional designations are possible under the county—ramework.

Votes at the meeting were recorded by roll call. For each ordinance the motion carried with the following roll-call pattern: Chair yes, Commissioner Taylor yes, Commissioner Patterson yes and Commissioner Barnes yes; Commissioner Sapp was absent. The board adopted the ordinances as follows: road impact-fee suspension (ordinance numbers 2006-8, 2008-31), park impact-fee suspension (2006-10, 2008-33), public education impact-fee suspension (2006-9, 2008-34) and emergency medical services impact-fee suspension (2006-11, 2008-32).

Clarifying details provided in the record included the approximate per-unit impact-fee estimate for a single-family residence (about $10,000 if fees were imposed at the maximum level in the study), and staff dvice that an updated study could recommend a different fee schedule or regional boundaries for collections. Staff emphasized the suspension is temporary and can be rescinded before the March 13, 2026 date by a subsequent ordinance.

The board irected staff to proceed with the study process and signaled willingness to consider a new impact-fee ordinance after the study is delivered.