Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 17, 1990 TAG: 9005170465
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In an effort to stave off a property-tax increase, the county administrator has proposed higher user fees. The idea, which figured prominently in a recent study of what other localities are doing to raise revenues, is that those who use some services should be the ones who pay for them.
Specifically, Hodge suggests charging developers more money for reviewing their site plans and rezoning requests. He also wants to charge participants of some county parks and recreation programs higher fees.
The raised fees would bring in about $295,000 a year in new revenue, and would hit developers the hardest.
Breaking even on the cost of reviewing developers' plans is a good idea. But the county should be careful not to make the costs of participating in recreation programs prohibitive. Under Hodge's proposal, for instance, the average fee to participate in a leisure arts program, which now is $35, would go up to $69 - a hefty increase, although still designed to cover only one-fourth of the programs' costs.
Hodge says postponing a tax-rate increase is not the sole impetus behind user-fee increases. He argues that they also would support increased services: better-kept playing fields, for instance, and shorter turnaround times for processing developer applications. Still, Hodge is aware that many politicians in the county, as elsewhere, suffer a phobia regarding even urgent tax increases.
Carried too far, the concept of user fees would have taxpayers refusing to pay for schools, or for that matter roads, that they personally do not use. Limited increases in user fees for limited purposes are fine. But they are no substitute for political responsibility.
User fees shouldn't be a shield behind which politicians avoid dealing with taxation - even when raising taxes isn't popular.
by CNB