Gee, like clockwork here comes impact fees.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg School officials asked the city council to create a fee for rezonings that developers would pay when they build in “overcrowded” school zones. Home buyers would then pay higher prices as the developers passed the fee on, of course.
But city officials quickly noted that Charlotte may not have the legal authority to do such a thing and, in any event, the move should come after much study and a vote by the school board in favor of what amounts to a new funding mechanism for schools.
Let’s not jump on CMS officials too much for making this request though — at least it gets the issue out in the open and heaven knows that with impact fees having been touted over, over, and over again as a key to unlock CMS greatness that CMS can be excused for drinking the Kool-Aid.
The rest of us, not so much.
PS — At last check, jurisdictions in the area with impact fees don’t exactly have extra classroom space, either.
