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Bradford County consultant proposes modest fire, EMS and law enforcement impact fees; commission agrees to formal review
Summary
A consultant told Bradford County commissioners that restarting impact fees could raise roughly $1,000 per new home in combined public‑safety charges; commissioners directed staff to place the proposed fees on next month’s agenda for formal consideration and public notice.
Consultants who completed an impact‑fee study for Bradford County recommended establishing three initial public‑safety impact fees — for fire, emergency medical services (EMS) and law enforcement — and advised the board to advertise the fees publicly before collection.
Peter Napoli of Sante Consulting presented the results to the commission, saying the county currently has no active impact fees and that many Florida counties have paused fees in past downturns then resumed them as development resumed. Napoli said impact fees apply only to new development, must be used for capital items and be supported by a rational nexus under Florida law.
Using county asset and capacity figures, Napoli reported draft fees that would raise roughly $1,000 total per new dwelling unit if multiple categories later were added. For the three public‑safety fees the study calculated amounts as follows: a fire impact fee of $4.98 per dwelling unit (and $1.94 per 1,000 sq. ft. nonresidential), an EMS fee of $2.58 per dwelling unit ($1.01 per 1,000 sq. ft. nonresidential) and a law enforcement fee of $3.04 per dwelling unit ($1.19 per 1,000 sq. ft. nonresidential). Napoli said these figures reflect only what the analysis can defend now and that transportation, roads, parks or schools fees could be added later if the county develops more project‑level data.
Napoli told commissioners the statutes require a 90‑day notice period before collection can begin and recommended the county update fees every four years. He also said counties may adopt fee levels below the calculated maximum; some counties set fees at 50% of calculated cost recovery for policy reasons.
Commissioners asked questions about how impact fees would be applied across different areas of the county, waivers or exemptions, and whether fees could be used for upgrades such as paving existing roads. Napoli said fees are typically collected county‑wide for services with countywide responsibility but that specific waivers are sometimes handled administratively. He said upgrades that increase level of service can be included in a fee’s cost basis if the county identifies and budgets those capital projects.
After the presentation commissioners expressed general support for moving the work forward. The board directed staff to place the impact fee recommendations on next month’s agenda as an action item, to prepare the required public notices, and to provide breakdowns showing how collected fees would be accounted for and allocated to the three public‑safety categories.
