Committee advances expedited bill to delay impact tax payment until final inspection, adds municipal coordination amendment

The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee voted unanimously to forward Expedited Bill 22‑24 — which would require development impact taxes to be paid at final inspection rather than at six or 12 months after permit issuance — to the full County Council with a favorable recommendation, committee members said during the meeting.

The bill would strike existing provisions in county code that allow deferred payment six or 12 months after permit issuance and replace them with a single rule: payment is due at final inspection. The committee adopted staff amendments clarifying that municipalities should be able to issue building permits even if county payment is delayed and that the amendment apply to building‑permit applications filed on or after Jan. 1, 2025.

Developers, housing advocates, and several chambers of commerce provided testimony during the public hearing portion of the record, mostly in support of the change; testimony argued that delaying payment until final inspection would reduce developers’ up‑front financing costs and could encourage more projects and additional housing. The Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) prepared an economic impact statement concluding that…