Recent articles concerning the passage of impact fees, currently being debated among our county commissioners, raise serious questions and concern.

These articles indicate that developers and builders will absorb these fees. Obviously it has been overlooked that no corporation, business, company, etc. pays taxes or fees, only people.

These fees are passed on to buyers.

The actions of the Baldwin County politicians are beyond my understanding—I see contradiction in their plans. A recently passed bill to freeze property taxes on those 65 and over fails to differentiate between the wealthy and needy. They freeze property taxes on one group but then greatly increase property taxes on others. They talk about the need for affordable homes on the Eastern Shore, but place thousands of dollars in additional fees on new construction.

I have been building residential homes in Baldwin County for about five years. During this time in Daphne, all the permits have greatly increased.

Sewer hook-ups have increased 60 percent from $1,500 to $2,400.

Business licenses have changed from a flat rate to a gross receipt fee, which has added hundreds of dollars to new homes.

It is my understanding that a license department is not designed to be a revenue-making department. A new tax on rental equipment has recently been passed. Coming soon there will be a 1 percent impact fee for all new construction, which will add about $3,500 to $5,400 to the cost of a single-family home.

Ignoring the depressed housing market and ailing economy and voting for the impact fees will indicate a serious lack of responsibility and concern on the part of our elected officials.

Clay Miller

Daphne