Kane Board considers lowering road impact fee
By Matt Brennan For The Beacon-News May 15, 2012 6:10PM
Updated: June 29, 2012 8:44AM
Kane County officials have a question for local municipalities regarding their road impact fees: they want to know what they charge developers, and how the charge affected growth.
County officials renewed their road impact fee ordinance for a five-year basis recently, but they are given the freedom to adjust it. Board members recently discussed at length whether to reduce the impact fee paid by residential or commercial developers, or to abate the fee altogether.
“Does it stimulate growth, or are we just giving something away that will effect our roadways in the future?” asked Kathy Hurlbut, R-Elgin, chairman of theTransportation Committee.
The committee directed county transportation staff on Tuesday to find out more about what some of the local municipalities are doing with their road impact fees, and how it affects growth. The county has had the fee in place since 2007. The fee served as a way to obtain funding for road repairs that did not put the burden on taxpayers.
Hurlbut said different municipalities have varying opinions. Some want the fee as a continued revenue source for upcoming road projects, she said.
Board member Melisa Taylor, R-Sugar Grove, disagreed.
“I’ve heard a consensus amongst the municipalities that I’ve talked to, that they want this fee at a lesser amount,” she said.
