What killing the Mobility Fee Moratorium means for you

[Metro Jacksonville]

What killing the Mobility Fee Moratorium means for you



This upcoming Tuesday, October 9th, the Jacksonville City Council will consider a bill to extend the mobility fee moratorium.  Enacted a year ago by a desperate council who viewed it as Jacksonville's stimulus package, the moratorium basically places the long term tax burden on Jacksonville residents in hopes of spurring development that would be exempt from covering it's negative financial and quality-of-life impacts on the surrounding community.  The job creation and development that was to be stimulated by the moratorium failed to deliver.  If allowed to rightfully die, here is a list of potential projects the mobility plan and fee can bring to each neighborhood and area of Jacksonville.


Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-oct-what-killing-the-mobility-fee-moratorium-means-for-you-

[tufsu1]

great article Ennis....provides all the data people need to know about what the mobility plan means for their area of town

[sheclown]

Thanks Lake for doing this.

[Jumpinjack]

This is a great article because it shows that every area of town will benefit from a fully funded Mobility Plan. I've seen and listened to many people who focus solely on what will be happening in the downtown and surrounding metro areas of Riverside Avondale, Springfield and San Marco.

Well, guess what, every part of town had a vision for their neighborhoods. To fulfill those visions, we must find the money and the one logical place is the Mobility fee. People come to Jacksonville to stay because it is a great way of life - not a city where cheapness replaces vibrancy. Jobs don't happen because someone builds a big box building more cheaply  here than in other counties. Jobs don't happen when we have no sidewalks, safe roads for cars and bikes and better transit. Jobs certainly don't happen when Jacksonville continues its image as the nation's most unsafe unattractive place to walk or ride a bicycle.

So wake up Council people! Jacksonville residents expect better of you than continuing down the same old high speed highway by-passing the Late Great City of Jacksonville.

[peestandingup]

Do they really expect better though? I know we do, but I'd wager the majority of people here are just fine with the way things are, don't know any better, and probably don't even know that there is such a thing as a mobility fee/plan.

[dougskiles]

^The majority of people just don't know about it.  Once they do, they think it is a great plan for Jacksonville.  It is a matter of education.

[Tacachale]

^Agreed. Unfortunately there's not a lot of time left for that.

[Bativac]

Here's my question: the job creation and development that was hoped for hasn't happened. So why do they think extending the moratorium will lead to MORE job creation and development? Or are they scared that businesses will be driven away by having to actually pay the mobility fee?

[jcjohnpaint]

Perfect.  Well done!  I feel it is time for me to email blast council again!

[copperfiend]

Here's my question: the job creation and development that was hoped for hasn't happened. So why do they think extending the moratorium will lead to MORE job creation and development? Or are they scared that businesses will be driven away by having to actually pay the mobility fee?

Check the campaign contributions

[peestandingup]

Here's my question: the job creation and development that was hoped for hasn't happened. So why do they think extending the moratorium will lead to MORE job creation and development? Or are they scared that businesses will be driven away by having to actually pay the mobility fee?

Check the campaign contributions

That & they're scared of ending the unsustainable growth methods that have plagued this city (and country) for decades now. What they don't realize is that it will end either way.

[jaxlore]

Great article, just e-mailed mr love and a few others.

[thelakelander]

Here's my question: the job creation and development that was hoped for hasn't happened. So why do they think extending the moratorium will lead to MORE job creation and development? Or are they scared that businesses will be driven away by having to actually pay the mobility fee?

The majority of municipalities across the country charge impact fees to cover the costs of new development on public infrastructure.  When you don't, you're basically saying you want the Bativacs, Lakelanders, and Copperfields of Jacksonville to reach in their pockets to subsidize the developer because he's too poor to pay his own way.  In reality, when an LA Fitness or 7-11 comes to town, if there is a market for their product, they're coming and an impact fee is just part of doing business.

Also, the mobility fee replaced the old concurrency system, which has been around for decades.   It isn't something extra that developers have to pay. The fee, itself, is a significant reduction when compared to the old concurrency system.  In addition, the fee's structure provides credit adjustments that reduces the fee for smart fiscally sound development.  For example, if you decided to revamp or construct on an existing shopping center site, you could easily end up not having to pay anything as opposed to building a new retail strip mall, next door to an existing half vacant one. 

As for driving people away, St. Johns County charges $11k per new house.  They are currently using their money generated to construct additional schools, which in turn, will pull more residents and economic development their way.  This is proven by the fact that they continue to outgrow us, Clay and Nassau combined, despite still charging a fee.

[Dog Walker]

Legislation has been introduced to City Council to extend the moratorium on the Mobility Fee.  Second hand report says it was introduced by Doyle Carter.

[simms3]

One thing that seems better about the Mobility Fee than the old Concurrency System is a one-size-fits-all means.  Before, if I were a developer I'd look for new places to develop to avoid the fee, which was like TIF in reverse (i.e. fee increases for each new development on single road or in one area just as available TIF decreases with each new development in boundary).  There was less reason to build infill on existing infrastructure as the fee was increased.

Now it doesn't matter where you build, you're going to pay a fee, so now it actually makes sense to build in areas with existing and sufficient infrastructure near complementing uses, rather than creating new Race Track Rds everywhere.  Hope the moratorium sunsets.