York County Council voted Dec. 15 to approve a revised school facilities impact fee for the Clover School District, adopting an amendment that set the single‑family impact fee at $8,000 district‑wide.

The decision concludes months of debate between council members, the school district and residents over who should pay for new school capacity and which projects the fee can fund. Council discussion referenced an ordinance that had listed higher initial figures (a $15,035 single‑family amount appeared in the proposal as presented) but ended with the council accepting an amendment and passing the fee schedule by voice vote.

Public testimony at the meeting included residents who supported and opposed the fee. Matthew James said he was "100% in favor of the school district receiving the funding that they need, and I am entirely dubious about whether or not impact fees are the right mechanism to achieve that." Kelly Clark, who identified herself as a county resident, urged the council to consider that growth has hit different municipalities unevenly and said fees could help "slow that rate of increase" in taxes.

Opponents and some councilmembers said a district‑wide charge could be unfair to residents in parts of Clover who would not use the new schools. One councilmember (identified in the transcript as Speaker 3) argued, "I don't think that's right... we cannot increase it 300%" and warned that the council had been given conflicting information about what the fees could cover, citing back‑and‑forth on whether stadiums or buses would be included.

Michael Pruner, president of the York County Homebuilder Association, addressed concerns about legal challenges and said the association "has no plans, ever, had any plans, never said publicly or privately that we would file legal action over the use of the USB boundary." The council also noted that the impact fee, as discussed in this process, is limited in where it may be used: council remarks specified that the fee could only be allocated to certain Clover projects (Liberty Hill Elementary and Lake Wylie High School) and for the overage amounts tied to those projects.

Council members debated motions to defer the decision to allow further legal review and to adopt different fee levels, including proposed alternatives of $7,000 and a higher $15,000. A motion to defer to allow a legal update failed on a voice vote; subsequent amendment to set the fee at $8,000 was seconded, debated and ultimately carried by voice vote.

The council discussed equity concerns, the limits of county authority versus school‑district purview, and the technical question of which capital costs may lawfully be funded by impact fees. Several councilmembers urged additional follow‑up with school district officials and legal counsel prior to future changes.

Council recorded no roll‑call tally in the transcript; the motion carried by voice vote. The council returned from an executive session earlier in the evening and reported no action taken there related to this vote.

Next steps: the revised fee schedule was approved as amended at the meeting and will be implemented according to York County ordinance procedures. The council referenced related ordinance language and an intergovernmental agreement that defines the respective rights and responsibilities between York County and the Clover School District.