MONCKS CORNER, S.C. — In a unanimous decision, Moncks Corner town council has adopted an ordinance to implement impact fees on new construction, a move town officials say is critical to keeping public services in step with the town’s rapid growth.
The ordinance, approved Tuesday evening, allows the town to charge fees on new residential and commercial developments to help cover the rising costs of expanding municipal services like police, fire, sanitation, and recreation.
“With new construction, the impacts to town services outpace the new tax base needed to expand the town’s service to new areas,” said Justin Westbrook, Moncks Corner’s Community Development Director. “A fire station takes several years of tax collection, planning, and design to become a reality, while it takes only six months to build a new home.”
Under the new fee structure, a single-family home will now be assessed $4,805 and multifamily builds assessed $2,606 in impact fees. Other fees vary based on square footage for non-residential projects or by room count for hotels. The fees officially went into effect Wednesday, May 21.
The fees are the result of a detailed impact fee study, conducted by consultant TischlerBise, and are projected to generate around $21.7 million over the next 10 years. Those funds will help the town invest in necessary infrastructure and equipment, without burdening longtime residents.
“Impact fees provide another form of funding to prevent taxing longtime residents due to new growth demands,” Westbrook said.
Moncks Corner’s population is on a sharp upward trend. According to its newly adopted 2024 Comprehensive Plan, the town is expected to grow by 6% annually, ballooning from around 16,500 residents to about 23,000 by 2045. Another estimate from the impact study suggests the population could surge to 29,000 as early as 2034.
SEE ALSO:
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- Berkeley County to Refund Portion of Growth Impact Fees to Some Residents
- Berkeley County Settles Impact Fee Class Action, Will Refund $6.5 Million
Westbrook emphasized that the fees will only apply to new construction. Renovations like kitchen remodels or rebuilding a home of the same size after a tragedy are exempt. Funds collected through the impact fees will also be tightly regulated.
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“Impact fees can only be used for intersection improvements, sanitation, police, fire, recreation, and for the purchase of vehicles and equipment over $100,000, as well as additional office space,” Westbrook stressed. “It cannot be used for salaries or new services that the town does not already utilize. It also cannot be used to purchase a police boat, as Moncks Corner PD does currently have a police boat.”
Town officials say the new fees will help offset the strain on services caused by growth — and that it’s only fair for developers to shoulder more of the cost when building in Moncks Corner.
