Impact Fees

Over the course of 2024 - 2025, the City of Bartow adjusted many of the fees that are charged, including impact fees.  The City of Bartow currently has multiple different impact fees as well as a Park Recoupment Fee.  The Park Recoupment fee is used to offset the historical costs of the various parks that were built in the past.  It is not a true impact fee, but was recently reduced as part of the impact fee study that was prepared.  

The basics of impact fees is they are to be used for expanded or new items, not for maintenance of existing facilities.  When updating the impact fees, there are very specific laws that must be followed.  When the City updated the ordinances in 2024, they fell under the Extraordinary Circumstances provision of the law.  These provisions are defined as significant construction cost inflation, high population growth and critical new facilities to serve the demands are required.  For a more thorough explanation, click here.

Fees:

  • Public Facilities Impact Fee – This impact fee is to be used to construct new or expanded City Facilities.  It is not restricted to any particular type of facility, such as police or fire.  
  • Police Impact Fee – This fee is newly established and is used for expanded police capital items.  It can be used for new police vehicles, but not replacement ones as an example.  This could also be used for a new police facility.
  • Fire Impact Fee – This fee is newly established and is restricted for use on new fire capital items.  It could be used to build a new fire station or purchase additional fire equipment, but again not replacement equipment.
  • Transportation Impact Fee – This fee can be used for expanded or new roads.  If they City were to widen a road or increase the capacity of an existing road, this fee would be eligible.  Repaving of an existing road back to its original status would not be eligible.
  • Water Impact Fee – This fee can be used for expansions to the system or the plant.  It would not be eligible for repairs to the existing lines or plant.
  • Waste Water Impact Fee – This fee can be used for expansion to the system or plant as well.  Again, repairs to existing items are not eligible.  

City of Bartow Impact Fees

The below impact fees are the current rates the City of Bartow charges for a new single family home.  There are additional fees from the County that are also charged that are dependent on where the home is located inside the County.  

  • Transportation Impact Fee                                      $ 1,056
  • Public Facilities Impact Fee                                     $    414
  • Parks & Recreation Recoupment                           $    716
  • Police Impact Fee                                                       $    949
  • Fire Impact Fee                                                           $    859
  • Wastewater Development Fee (Impact)              $ 2,398
  • Water Development Fee (Impact)                          $ 1,699