Fayette

County and its cities are near agreement on

imposition of impact fees to help pay for a new

county jail and fire service improvements, said

County Commission Chairman Harold Bost this week.

Impact

fees are charged to developers to help defray the

cost of new government services needed because of

their developments.

"I

am so pleased with the cooperation of all the

cities," said Bost.

The

county and cities had agreed in principle to

impose the impact fees both inside and outside

the city limits, but city leaders wanted the fees

calculated using square footage of the jail as a

basis rather than on a straight population basis,

said Bost.

"We

didn't have a problem with that and are working

on calculations using the new methodology,"

said Bost.

Once

the calculations are provided to the cities, they

will have the required two public hearings before

approving impact fees for their residents.

Fayetteville

has scheduled its public hearing for its council

meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at City Hall, in hopes

of receiving the county's calculations before

then. If all goes well, the city can take action

at its June 19 meeting.

Once

all the cities take action, probably by the end

of the month, Bost said, the county can send a

complete packet of information to the state

Department of Community Affairs for its approval,

which is expected to take 60 to 120 days.

"Then

we can get started collecting the fees,"

said Bost.

County

commissioners are seeking to impose fees of an

estimated $1,750 for each new home built, of

which $820 would go for jail construction and

$930 for fire stations and equipment.

County

officials hope to start collecting the fees as

soon as possible.

Every

dollar collected in impact fees is a dollar in

taxes that can be saved.

Officials

expect to have to increase taxes to pay for the

construction projects, even with the impact fees.

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