Edgefield County asks North Augusta to collect $1,600 impact fee to fund EMS substation

Edgefield County Administrator David Cadell told the North Augusta City Council on June 8 that Edgefield County will ask its council to adopt an impact fee and requested that North Augusta pass a companion ordinance allowing the city to collect the fee on the county’s behalf.

Cadell said the proposed flat fee is $1,600 on new residential and commercial construction within the County Line Fire District, Merryweather Fire District and the Edgefield County portion of North Augusta. He said the primary purpose of the fee is to fund construction of an EMS substation to improve response times in the fast‑growing northern Edgefield County area.

"The proposed fee is $1,600 on new residential and commercial construction in the countyline fire district, Merryweather Fire District, and the Edgefield County portion of North Augusta," Cadell said. "With North Augusta's participation, this fee could generate about $400,000 per year." He added that North Augusta’s portion of that estimate is about $73,000 annually.

Cadell described the intended project as a brick‑and‑mortar substation to house ambulances serving Merryweather, County Line and the Edgefield portion of North Augusta. He said the construction cost for the substation is roughly $1 million (exclusive of land, design and some soft costs) and estimated a three‑year timeline from revenue collection to completion, accounting for design, land acquisition and inflation.

Council members pressed Cadell on the fee structure and alternatives. One council member asked why the county settled on a flat fee instead of a graduated or proportional fee; Cadell said state law requires proportionality and that county staff considered square‑footage approaches but settled on a flat fee given local housing uniformity. "We could not find a municipality or a county that had a true structural fee on a percentage," Cadell said. He added that home value does not necessarily reflect EMS demand and that square footage is often used where occupancy varies.

Council members also asked what would happen if North Augusta declines to participate. Cadell said the county has already advanced first reading and, if it completes its process, will implement the fee in the county fire districts regardless; North Augusta would be a pass‑through collector for permits within the city limits where building permits are issued by the city. Cadell said the county had passed first reading unanimously and planned second and third readings in July and August.

Cadell emphasized usage limits and legal constraints for impact fees, saying funds must be used for capital projects tied to the service area and not for operations or personnel. "The fee may apply to capital expenditures only, not for operations, not for salaries, not for personnel," he said. He told council the county would use the fee 100% for EMS until the substation cost is paid.

No formal council vote occurred at the June 8 study session; Cadell asked the city to "strongly consider" participation and offered to supply additional materials and cost breakdowns. If North Augusta opts in, the city would collect the fee at permit issuance and pass the revenue to Edgefield County per the county’s ordinance and the interlocal arrangement the county requests.

What’s next: Edgefield County intends to advance its ordinance through three readings in July and August; the county asked North Augusta to consider a companion ordinance so the city can collect the fee on the county’s behalf. The council did not take action at the study session and requested additional materials and cost estimates.