Growth Impact Action Committee

South Carolina House Bill H3736 to Allow Impact Fees to be Imposed for Required New Public School Construction

                               -- George Edwards

Bob Logan recently (February 7) passed on an interesting discovery: "Dorchester County has an Impact Fee in use now that they are dissatisfied with because it does not allow any use for schools K-12. Their State Rep. Limehouse and Rep. Hagood have a proposed amendment before the Ways And Means Committee in
Columbia, H3736."

Passing this bill to allow the imposition of impact fees on new school construction is something that every homeowner and their elected representatives should support -- Horry County Democrats and Republicans alike, as well as anyone who is paying attention in any other South Carolina county.

Those that fear an adverse effect on population growth should consider that the only alternative to transferring some taxes by impact fees to those who require new school facilities from current homeowners is to raise everybody's annual taxes or reduce services. These eventualities will not attract newcomers and are unfair to those of us who currently only have to pay taxes for the maintenance of existing school facilities.  Without this amendment to current state law, we get no relief from having to pay for brand new school facilities that we would otherwise not need but that are required by newcomers. 

I have heard, but do not independently know, two things that may stand in the way of this legislation:
1. The state is supposed to pay for new school construction.
2. A county can not collect impact fees for a school district that is an independent taxing district.

As to the first, the state is apparently unable to meet this obligation to Horry County; increases in our property taxes will be required to meet Horry County's projected $250 million need for new or expanded school facilities in the next five years.

As to the second, if true, I see no compelling reason to maintain the Horry County school district as an independent taxing district.

Bill 3736 which was proposed in March of last year simply adds the following underlined text to the improvements upon which
impact fees can be imposed "any building or other facilities for public use including public education for grades K-12."

For those who want to see for themselves, the following is from another e-mail from Mr. Logan, (slightly modified as to the search procedure's detailed wording, for those not as familiar with computer searching):

"Dorchester County has an Impact Fee in use now that they are dissatisfied with because it does not allow any use for schools
K-12.. Their State Rep. Limehouse and Rep. Hagood have a proposed amendment before the Ways And Means Committee in
Columbia, H3736. You can bring same up by:
1. Into your address bar type. South Carolina Legislature Online
2. Click: Legislation (on left column)"
3. On the new page that appears, under the top of the left hand column, click "Bill Act or RAT Number
4. On the new page that appears, in the text bar following "Numbers," type: 3736 and then click the "Submit" button on the
right of the text box.
5. On the new page that appears, click the underlined "View full text."

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