Impact fees in Tennessee : an exploratory survey of issues, problems, and barriers

Our nation is experiencing an infrastructure crisis. Formerly reliable sources of revenue for infrastructure such as the property tax and intergovernmental aid are becoming less dependable. As the state of Tennessee continues to grow, the majority of the population growth is expected in the metropolitan areas. The suburban counties of these metropolitan areas will face tremendous growth pressures that will tax their ability to provide public services. Impact fees are a tool of community planning and infrastructure financing that is designed to equitably distribute the burden of financing new public facilities to new development in growing communities. Impact fees represent a shift in the cost burden of providing public facilities and services from the public sector to the private sector. By carefully designing impact fee systems supported by comprehensive land use plans, suburban communities in Tennessee may accomodate growth without sacrificing quality of life.