Suspending impact fees a good place to start

Extraordinary times require actions that might run counter to long-term goals - at least in the interim. Suspending impact fees is one of those actions.

The Highlands County Commission made the right decision last week to suspend impact fees. They voted 5-0 to hold off on impact fees until July 1, 2010. It is hoped that the building industry will get a boost from this. Any improvements there will help a lot of people hurting right now.

We still believe impact fees are the right way to go, though. It makes sense to have new growth pay for itself rather than people already living here footing the bill. Right now, we aren't seeing growth and we need to get people back to work. We'll never see a rebound if jobs keep being lost and buying power diminished.

That said, a lot of people realize that this latest economic downturn has exposed Highlands County's biggest weakness: lack of a diversified economy. More industry and better paying jobs must be our county's highest priority in the coming years. We've seen that a downturn in the real estate market brings us to our knees. Considering we live in Florida, where our state's real estate is legendary for it's ups and downs, that's a bad basket in which to put all our eggs. Until this latest bust, Highlands County has not had a roller coaster ride like many parts of the state, but we now know what it's all about.

Many people have worked hard for years to bring in these higher wage jobs and it's a difficult task. Every county in America is vying for the same types of business, and every place has its positives and negatives. Attracting businesses and industry is amazingly challenging. Besides, there's not a lot of expansion going on anyway. That said, Highlands County has a lot going for it.

We have inexpensive land compared to most places. Transportation is good and local governments seem willing to provide reasonable incentives. What could hurt us the most, though, are perceptions and first impressions. A CEO wanting to expand will consider the quality of schools for his managers and workers, the skill of the workforce and overall quality of life. If he or she thinks any of these are lacking, we're done. They will find someplace that has those things.

It's our opinion that we have much to offer entrepreneurs and existing companies. Selling Highlands County seems like a big job, but not impossible. We must continue to beautify our communities and keep quality of life high. If we fail, we'll have little hope of attracting any new jobs or industry.

For now, though, we must take baby steps. Suspending impact fees for a year is a good place to start. Let's not leave it at that, though. We have a lot of work to do.