The Fort Worth City Council is holding a public hearing on a staff recommendation to raise transportation impact fees, during Tuesday's council meeting, 10 a.m. at City Hall.
Here's the Star-Telegram's recent print story outlining the proposed increase. At least one development group supports raising the fees, but by a lesser amount than the staff recommendation, and only if the council also implements a user fee on water bills. Transportation impact fees, charged to new development, go to pay for the construction of arterials serving that development.
Mayor Betsy Price signalled her opposition to the staff proposal during last week's pre-council meeting, saying she was concerned the increase could hinder the nascent recovery of housing in Fort Worth and drive development to neighboring cities. Go to 1:51:39 on the video to see the discussion.
"I know we have to find a way to pay for this," she said of Fort Worth's massive infrastructure needs, "but this is a very difficult market and a very soft market that's taking time to recover."
Councilman Sal Espino, whose district includes the fast-growing nfar North side of Fort Worth, which has long lagged in infrastructure construction, said he supports the staff recommendaion on raising impact fees, as well as the implementation of a user fee on water bills.
"I share the concerns that the development community has expressed about the tipping point, but we’ve got to do something," Espino said. "This is just one of the many steps we're going to have to do."
- Scott Nishimura, Star-Telegram Fort Worth City Hall reporter
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