Carroll commissioners may waive impact fees for new homes

Temporary waiver in effect until housing market rebounds

The sluggish housing market and the ensuing decline in school enrollment has the Carroll County Commissioners considering a proposal to drop impact fees on new home construction for the next few years.

The county collects the fees on residential construction to offset the growth-related costs of building the schools and other infrastructure needed to meet the demands of new residents. The fees, which depend on the size of a new home and can be as much as $6,000, pay to build new schools and parks and provide recreation. Carroll has not seen a significant influx of new residents in the past few years and has experienced a drop in enrollment at its schools, officials said.

"The idea would be to hold off on the fees for schools for a few years, until the economy improves, and then revisit the issue," Commissioner Haven Shoemaker said. "We would continue collecting for park and recreation projects."

The commissioners will schedule a public hearing on the proposal before voting on its adoption.

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