ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Florida's experience with impact fees, one of the most innovative and controversial of the new policy tools designed to cope with rapid population growth. Impact fees are one-time levies, predetermined by a formula adopted by a local government unit, that are assessed on property developers during the construction permit approval process. Generally, impact fees apply to all types of development (i.e., residential, commercial, and industrial), but there are exceptions. For each county, the database contains detailed information on fee levels dating back to the inception of impact fees within the county. Impact fees in Florida are imposed by county governments and are countywide in their application. This largely reflects the fact that over half of Florida's population resides in unincorporated areas according to the 2000 US Census. Impact fees in Florida lessen, but do not eliminate, the fiscal burden that residential development imposes on the community.
