Henry County is considering an increase in its development impact fees. The county last adopted a change to its fee structure in 2022.
Impact fees are paid by new construction. The county’s impact fees are charged to new construction in unincorporated areas only.
Henry County Impact Fees 2023
Henry County first adopted development impact fees in 2003. The county left the rates unchanged for twenty years. The board passed an update in August 2022 to incorporate transportation impact fees. The updated fees took effect in February 2023.
The 2023 update raised the impact fee to $3,544.46 per housing unit. The methodology study at the time found Henry County could charge a maximum impact fee of $10,442.08 per unit. This calculation is based on several different impact fee categories. The chart below looks at each category.
The county charges an equal amount whether its for a single-family home, townhome or apartment unit.
| Category | 2023 Fee | 2023 Percentage | Max Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library Services | $110.81 | 30% | $369.37 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,213.70 | 35% | $3,467.70 |
| Greenspace | $154.48 | 15% | $1,029.85 |
| Animal Control | $19.32 | 30.66% | $63 |
| Fire & EMS | $315.40 | 35% | $901.15 |
| Sheriff’s Office | $154.66 | 20.57% | $751.93 |
| Police | $177.04 | 50% | $354.09 |
| E-911 | $20.55 | 35% | $58.72 |
| Road Improvements | $1,378.50 | 40% | $3,446.26 |
| $3,544.46 | $10,442.08 |
Henry County Impact Fees Increase
Now, Henry County is considering an increase in its impact fees. The exact amount of that increase has not been presented. There is an opportunity to raise the fee in each category, based on the current percentages. No category is charging 100% of its maximum rate.
The state requires Henry County to hold two public hearings when considering an increase to its impact fees. The county will hold the two hearings during their July meetings. Those dates are as follows:
- Tuesday, July 9, at 9 am
- Tuesday, July 23, at 6:30 pm
Board meetings take place at the county admin building in McDonough.
The above figures look at the impact fee for a new housing unit. Commercial & industrial properties pay impact fees based on their square footage. Any change to the impact fee ordinance would carry over to those land uses as well.
Comparison to Other Counties
Henry County’s present impact fee is similar to some of the surrounding counties. It is higher than our local cities. Spalding County in their 2023 update selected to charge the same rate as Henry County. The chart below shares impact fees in other counties and the local cities for comparison:
| County | Impact Fee | Last Update |
|---|---|---|
| Henry County | $3,544.46 | Effective February 2023 |
| Hampton | $2,262.85 | May 2021 |
| Locust Grove | $1,498.00 | 2005 Update In Progress |
| McDonough | $2,209.16 | June 2021 |
| Stockbridge | $2,420.92 | March 2019 |
| Cherokee County | $2,560.60 | Effective January 2023 |
| Forsyth County | $4,047.00 | 2023 Update Being Considered |
| Rockdale County | $3,568.68 | June 2020 |
| Spalding County (outside Griffin) | $3,544.46 | May 2023 |
| Spalding County (inside Griffin) | $2,817.26 | May 2023 |
Clayton, Fayette and DeKalb Counties do not levy impact fees, according to a 2022 presentation. Some cities within Fayette County — Fayetteville and Peachtree City — levy them.
Forsyth County is presently considering an increase to their impact fee. The proposed increase would increase transportation impact fees by $4,000 for a single-family home. This would raise their overall impact fee to about $8,000.
One may notice Spalding County has two different rates, for inside or outside the city of Griffin. Henry County does not presently charge impact fees inside the cities. There could exist an opportunity to do so, if the county and cities could negotiate an agreement for it. There are several impact fee categories, such as libraries, E-911 and the Sheriff’s Office, which are only provided by Henry County.
Featured image shows new houses under construction. Photo credit Marty Meeks.
Be the first to comment