LUBBOCK, Texas — On Tuesday, the Lubbock City Council voted to reduce all impact fees to zero. Impact fees were charges from the city that developers pay when they get a permit to cover the cost of road construction. Thomas Payne was a former member of the impact fees committee but decided to resign after the city council’s decision Tuesday.
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“I think it is a very bad decision,” Payne said. “Whatever they pay for is money that would otherwise have had to come out of the general fund. And we’re currently in a time where we have budget struggles as everyone is aware. And so, to me, it doesn’t make much sense to do away with a revenue stream that is outside of the general fund and created to enable and support the construction of streets.”
However, West Texas Home Builders CEO Victoria Whitehead disagreed with Payne.
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“So, new growth, new homes, new businesses, all produce sales tax dollars and property tax dollars. That actually funds and pays for roadway maintenance and infrastructure in existing parts of Lubbock. And so, what we’re doing here is we’re picking winners and losers in a program that just hasn’t produced,” Whitehead said.
The city council will meet again on Tuesday, August 19, for the second reading and final vote on the recommendation to set the impact fee rate at zero for future growth…