Nassau County adopts phased increases to impact and mobility fees after heated public hearing

The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners voted on Dec. 17 to adopt sweeping increases to impact and mobility fees intended to fund roads, parks and public-safety capacity added since the county’s last study.

Chair Huttman opened a multistage public hearing in which staff presented a 2025 impact-fee study and a mobility-fee program showing substantial cost escalation since 2021. Marshall Eierman, the county’s impact-fee consultant, told the board the county faces sharply higher construction and right-of-way costs and recommended using the ‘extraordinary circumstances’ approach to support increases. For a representative 2,000-square-foot single-family home, staff said the county’s current comprehensive-impact fee of $3,721 would rise to $7,322 at full implementation (about a 97% increase); mobility fees for a single-family unit were estimated at roughly $11,000 per unit in the East and West zones and about $10,875 for the ENCPA (Zone 2) program at full implementation.

Speakers from neighborhoods, builders and industry associations filled the public-comment period. Abby Burgin, a lifelong Nassau County homeowner, urged the board to raise impact fees so growth pays for itself and “avoid raising property taxes” on current residents. Developers and trade groups, including representatives of the Northeast Florida Builders Association, warned the board that invoking extraordinary circumstances would dramatically raise costs for homebuyers and small businesses and urged limiting increases to the statutory 50% cap or phasing them in more slowly. “We simply ask that the county increase the fees by a maximum of 50% as set forth in statute,” said Austin Nicholas of the builders association. Several builders said recent permit activity and local market conditions do not justify the highest increases.

Commissioners debated alternatives including a two-year or four-year phase-in. Commissioner Farmer moved to adopt the comprehensive-impact-fee ordinance as proposed but implement the increase in four equal annual increments; Commissioner Gray seconded and the motion carried on a 4–0 vote (Commissioner Martin was absent for the meeting). For the mobility-fee ordinances, the board approved a two-year equal phase-in for the countywide mobility plan and adopted the East Nassau Community Planning Area (ENCPA/Zone 2) agreement amendment and ordinance, also on two-year phasing, each by 4–0 votes.

County staff and the board framed the changes as long-term capital planning: deputy county manager/county engineer Robert Campanian and staff said the fee revenue will fund identified capacity-adding projects (new roadways, lane widenings, intersection improvements, and park and public-safety capital) and pointed to millions in projects already underway paid in part with mobility funds. Staff also noted credits are available when developers build eligible infrastructure in lieu of paying fees.

Opponents warned that higher fees will be passed through to buyers and could worsen affordability, particularly for first-time buyers. Public commenters proposed alternatives such as reallocating county priorities, pursuing bonds or grant funding, waiving fees for qualified affordable-housing projects, or a longer phase-in schedule. Several commissioners said they favored phasing to balance fiscal planning with near-term affordability concerns.

The board directed staff to prepare the implementing ordinances and to return with final documents reflecting the approved phase-in schedules. County attorneys also confirmed the board had the authority to set phasing in the ordinances. The measures take effect in accordance with the timelines set in the adopted ordinances and with the statutory notice periods described by staff.

The board also approved several routine items earlier in the meeting, including contracts for Crawford Road repairs and a restroom at the Wilson Neck boat ramp, and recognized long-serving county employees.

The board will consider the Evaluation and Appraisal Review adoption on Jan. 12, 2026, and staff said they will continue public outreach on the 2050 comprehensive plan process.