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- January 15, 2010
By: J.L. MILLER, News Journal Reporter
Yesterday, important new legislation (House Bill 30) designed to increase existing developer impact fees in the Appoquinimink School District was passed by Delaware’s House of Representatives. The legislation will now move to the Senate for a vote. If passed, developers with newly approved housing projects (which put a burden on the capacity of our schools) will increase their current contribution to more adequately reflect the impact new housing construction has on our school system and will dramatically increase the amount of money our district has available to address new construction needs created by new housing development. Read more from the News Journal coverage below, including the testimony given by Superintendent Tony Marchio.
We would like to take this opportunity to recognize and publicly thank our House members, who voted as one for this legislation: Earl Jaques, Jr. (HB 30 sponsor), Dick Cathcart (sponsor of the first developer assessment bill, passed in 1999), Quinton Johnson, Valerie Longhurst, William Carson.
Our State Representatives worked tirelessly on the floor and behind the scenes to assure passage of the measure and we are extremely grateful to them for their commitment to our children.
Next, the measure will pass on to the State Senate where it will once again require the combined support and advocacy of all our elected officials to ensure its passage. Please be sure to let both our House and Senate Members know you appreciate their efforts on our behalf!
Larger developers would have to pay more to district
DOVER -- Legislation aimed at making developers pick up more of the cost of school construction in the Appoquinimink School District passed the House Thursday night.
House Bill 30, which passed on a 24-13 vote, raises the voluntary school assessment fee for the lower New Castle County district.
Under the complicated formula, developers with larger projects that will put a burden on schools pay a fee to help share that burden.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Earl Jaques Jr., D-Glasgow, would raise the maximum voluntary school assessment from 5 percent to 6 percent of the total cost of a residential unit. That would add $6,000 to the price of a $100,000 house, Jaques said.
The bill ran into opposition from House Republicans, some of whom said it would further discourage homebuilding and buying in an already depressed market.*
That opinion was backed by Jennifer Casey, executive director of the Delaware Homebuilders Association.
"I agree this is a tax on the industry and a hardship. It's also a hardship for buyers," Casey said.
Appoquinimink Superintendent Tony Marchio said the bill is needed to help the district cope with growth, and that it is difficult to keep asking taxpayers to vote for referendums to pay for new schools.
"Last year our enrollment increased by over 500 students," Marchio said, adding that enrollment jumped by more than 1,500 students in the last three years.
"That increase is almost as large as some school districts' [enrollment]," Marchio said.
"People are moving to Appoquinimink because of our schools, and our opinion is that developers need to share" in the costs, Marchio said.
"They use the good reputation of our district to sell houses, and we just ask that they pay their fair share and respond to the impact of that growth."
Several legislators, though, argued that federal efforts to spur home buyers by providing a generous tax break would be undone by an increased assessment fee.
"It seems that we're, on one hand, going to provide that relief and, on the other hand, take it away," said Rep. Joe Miro, R-Foxfire.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where Jaques said he believes it has a good chance of passage.
*Please Note: House Minority Leader, Republican Dick Cathcart (District 9) spoke out strongly in FAVOR of the Bill and voted for its approval.
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