The progression of impact fees

This chapter reviews the principal epochs of development exactions associated with impact fees and summarizes the current state of affairs in meeting the needs of new development within the context of a public finance system in the United States that is changing fundamentally. The four decades following the 1920s saw public officials wrestle with providing facilities outside the boundaries of the development. Local officials discovered that fiscal resources could not satisfy the appetite generated by new development for new parks and schools. Schools have progressed from providing classrooms to offering multimedia experiences, science labs, and libraries. The chapter presents the experience of Florida with impact fees-an experience that is instructive nationally-and outlines new directions in impact fee designs. Florida's Legislative Committee on Intergovern-mental Relations (LCIR) compiles data concerning impact fee revenues reported annually by counties, municipalities, independent special districts, and school districts.