Parks, Recreation, Greenways, and Open Space ... - Town of Apex

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TaxesMany communities have raised money for generaltransportation programs or specific project needsthrough self-imposed increases in taxes and bonds.For example, Pinellas County residents in Floridavoted to adopt a one cent sales tax increase, whichprovided an additional $5 million for the developmentof the overwhelmingly popular Pinellas Trail. Salestaxes have also been used in Allegheny County,Pennsylvania, and in Boulder, Colorado to fund openspace projects. A gas tax is another method used bysome municipalities to fund public improvements. Anumber of taxes provide direct or indirect funding forthe operations of local governments. Some of themare:Sales TaxIn North Carolina, the state has authorized a salestax at the state and county levels. Local governmentsthat choose to exercise the local option sales tax (allcounties currently do) use the tax revenues to providefunding for a wide variety of projects and activities.Any increase in the sales tax, even if applying to a singlecounty, must gain approval of the state legislature. In1998, Mecklenburg County was granted authority toinstitute a one-half cent sales tax increase for masstransit.Property TaxProperty taxes generally support a significant portionof a municipality’s activities. However, the revenuesfrom property taxes can also be used to pay debtservice on general obligation bonds issued to financegreenway system acquisitions. Because of limitsimposed on tax rates, use of property taxes to fundgreenways could limit the municipality’s ability to raisefunds for other activities. Property taxes can provide asteady stream of financing while broadly distributingthe tax burden. In other parts of the country, thismechanism has been popular with voters as long asthe increase is restricted to parks and open space.Note, other public agencies compete vigorously forthese funds, and taxpayers are generally concernedabout high property tax rates.Excise TaxesExcise taxes are taxes on specific goods and services.These taxes require special legislation and fundsgenerated through the tax are limited to specific uses.Examples include lodging, food, and beverage taxesthat generate funds for promotion of tourism, andthe gas tax that generates revenues for transportationrelated activities.Occupancy TaxThe NC General Assembly may grant towns theauthority to levy occupancy tax on hotel and motelrooms. The act granting the taxing authority limits theuse of the proceeds, usually for tourism-promotionpurposes.FeesA variety of fee options have been used by localjurisdictions to assist in funding pedestrian and bicycleimprovements. Enabling actions may be required for alocality to take advantage of these tools.Stormwater Utility FeesGreenway trail property may be purchased withstormwater fees, if the property in question is usedto mitigate floodwater or filter pollutants. Stormwatercharges are typically based on an estimate of theamount of impervious surface on a user’s property.Impervious surfaces (such as rooftops and paved areas)increase both the amount and rate of stormwaterrunoff compared to natural conditions. Such surfacescause runoff that directly or indirectly discharge intopublic storm drainage facilities and create a needfor stormwater management services. Thus, userswith more impervious surface are charged more forstormwater service than users with less impervioussurface. The rates, fees, and charges collected for6-17 | Section 6
Parks & Recreation Plan Update | 2013stormwater management services may not exceedthe costs incurred to provide these services.Streetscape Utility FeesStreetscape Utility Fees could help support streetscapemaintenance of the area between the curb and theproperty line through a flat monthly fee per residentialdwelling unit. Discounts would be available for seniorand disabled residents. Non-residential customerswould be charged a per-foot fee based on the lengthof frontage streetscape improvements. This amountcould be capped for non-residential customerswith extremely large amounts of street frontage.The revenues raised from Streetscape Utility Feeswould be limited by ordinance to maintenance (orconstruction and maintenance) activities in supportof the streetscape.Impact FeesDevelopers can be required to pay impact feesthrough local enabling legislation. Impact fees, whichare also known as capital contributions, facilitiesfees, or system development charges, are typicallycollected from developers or property owners at thetime of building permit issuance to pay for capitalimprovements that provide capacity to serve newgrowth. The intent of these fees is to avoid burdeningexisting customers with the costs of providing capacityto serve new growth so that “growth pays its ownway.”In North Carolina, impact fees are designed to reflectthe costs incurred to provide sufficient capacityin the system to meet the additional needs of agrowing community. These charges are set in a feeschedule applied uniformly to all new development.Communities that institute impact fees must developa sound financial model that enables policy makersto justify fee levels for different user groups, and toensure that revenues generated meet (but do notexceed) the needs of development. Factors used todetermine an appropriate impact fee amount caninclude: lot size, number of occupants, and types ofsubdivision improvements. A developer may reducethe impacts (and the resulting impact fee) by payingfor on- or offsite pedestrian improvements that willencourage residents/tenants to walk or use transitrather than drive. Establishing a clear nexus orconnection between the impact fee and the project’simpacts is critical in avoiding a potential lawsuit.ExactionsExactions are similar to impact fees in that theyboth provide facilities to growing communities.The difference is that through exactions it canbe established that it is the responsibility of thedeveloper to build the greenway or pedestrian facilitythat crosses through the property, or is adjacent tothe property being developed.In-Lieu-Of FeesAs an alternative to requiring developers to developa greenway or pedestrian facility that would servetheir development, some communities providea choice of paying a front-end charge for off-siteprotection of pieces of the larger system. Paymentis generally a condition of development approvaland recovers the cost of the off-site land acquisitionor the development’s proportionate share of thecost of a regional facility serving a larger area. Somecommunities prefer in-lieu-of fees. This alternativeallows community staff to purchase land worthy ofprotection rather than accept marginal land thatmeets the quantitative requirements of a developerdedication but falls short of qualitative interests.Bonds and LoansBonds have been a very popular way for communitiesacross the country to finance their pedestrian andgreenway projects. A number of bond options arelisted below. Contracting with a private consultantto assist with this program may be advisable. Since6-18 | Action Steps
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AcknowledgementsTown of Apex StaffA
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Parks & Recreation Plan Update | 20
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The plan recommends clustering acti
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PROGRAMSRecreational preferences sh
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PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURELAND ACQUISI
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Existing Facilities:Parks and Green
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HUNTER ST2025 Land Use PlanTown of
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Page 108 and 109: PARK ZONES AND CLASSIFICATIONZONESI
Page 110 and 111: 2. Unprogrammed open space and mult
Page 112 and 113: Residents would like to expanded of
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Page 116 and 117: Wayfinding SystemA comprehensive wa
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Page 130 and 131: PROVIDING A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFEHig
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Parks, Recreation, Greenways, and Open Space ... - Town of Apex

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