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Surveyor and commissioners debate sharp rises in subdivision fees and lot‑split procedures
Summary
A local surveyor told the board that subdivision submittal fees jumped from about $500 to more than $4,000 after outsourcing review services; commissioners and staff discussed a possible cost study, in‑house work versus outsourcing, and directed staff to return with more analysis.
Surveyor Steve McMillan told the Levy County board Dec. 2 that recent increases in subdivision submittal fees are creating hardship for clients and flagged a lot‑split process that is not producing parcel numbers as expected.
McMillan said fees rose after the county outsourced reviews to a private firm, asserting the fee change (he cited an increase from roughly $500 to $4,210) prevents some clients from proceeding. He asked the board to “go back” to lower review fees or otherwise find a tradeoff given that new subdivisions produce ongoing ad valorem tax revenue.
County Manager Mariana Harper and other staff explained that the county has increased in‑house staffing for planning and that fees had not previously captured full costs (including third‑party engineering and legal review). Staff recommended a third‑party time‑and‑cost analysis (estimated $10,000–$20,000) to determine appropriate fee levels; commissioners discussed the tradeoffs between short‑term expense for a study versus the long‑term benefits of cost allocation. The board agreed to pursue more research and revisit the issue at an upcoming meeting, with staff asked to return with more data and, if needed, a scope for a cost study.
