CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Horry County residents are getting the chance to vote during this November’s general election on whether new developments should have to pay impact fees to help fund infrastructure.
Horry County Council approved the resolution for the referendum Tuesday evening.
Council would like to use the potential fees to fund road improvements, stormwater systems, and new buildings for public safety.
According to County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus, the impact fees, if voted on by the public and approved by Council, would be paid by the future homebuyers in the county.
“Let’s don’t put it on the backs of everyone that’s already here; that’s already been paying taxes. It should be paid by the new developments. I think it’s a step in the right process,” Lazarus said.
Currently, state law says impact fees can only be used to fund certain items, so the county would have to lobby to change that law before it could use the money generated by the impact fees.
“The impact fee that is available to us under state law are just unusable. It’s too cumbersome, and it can’t be used for the right things. What the hopes really are is if this nonbinding referendum is passed, it’ll bring all the players to the table, and we can come up with some real solutions and possibly come up with an impact fee that will work so new development can pay its own way,” Lazarus said.
According to council, it could be many years before they could implement the potential impact fees.
The county wants their public schools to help collaborate on the impact fee legislation, because they believe it would open up funding to help provide for schools.
Horry County Council’s administration will have until September 30th to put together a plan that will show council what changes need to be made to the state law regarding impact fees. After that, the county will begin educating the public about what the vote entails.
