New home construction is booming along the 54-corridor in Pasco County.
“Home sales have really taken off. They have not slowed down,” said realtor Debbie Dawson.
And if the Pasco School board has it’s way, people buying these homes will pay thousands more.
Right now, buyers of new construction pay about $4,800 in impact fees.
It’s worked into the overall price, so many don’t even notice it.
But the school board is asking county leaders to almost double that number to about $9,000.
They said they need the extra money to build new schools.
School overcrowding and rezoning has been a big issue in Pasco in recent months.
And most agree more schools have to be built to support all the new neighborhoods.
The West Pasco Board of Realtors is all for raising the impact fees.
“Infrastructure is especially important, especially the 54-corridor and Trinity and Odessa all the way down to Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes we are in need of more schools,” said Dawson.
Some builders said adding more fees will discourage buyers, especially coupled with higher interest rates.
But realtors say these days more people are worried about where their kid will go to school, then how much the impact fees are.
Pasco’s impact fees have been the same for almost a decade.
