Impact fees a touchy subject

Sheriff Mike Crenshaw was in the audience last night when Oconee County Council debated impact fees as a way for local government to offset the cost of providing services to new or proposed developments. The spread of student housing from Clemson University into parts of eastern Oconee are welcomed by the county from a tax standpoint, but a concern when it comes to providing adequate police and fire protection. Crenshaw wants additional officers and last night, meeting as the budget committee, the council took up the idea of impact fees as a supplement to tax payments. But there’s disagreement among the council members. Councilman Wayne McCall sympathizes with the plight of the sheriff’s office and says the question of impact fees is something that the council will have to asked itself. McCall colleagues Paul Cain and Julian Davis say, however, developers pay lots of taxes. That prompted Eddie Cammick, the council chairwoman, to complain there are county residents who still don’t have basic services available to them. Cammick used the example of extending piped water to parts of District 1, in the Salem area. That’s something talked about in the past without a lot of traction.