by WENDI ZONGKER

wendi.zongker@mynassausun.com

YULEE — In an effort to boost the local economy, the Nassau County Commission Friday suspended the collection of impact fees for six months and reduced building permit fees by 50 percent for a year.

Both are effective July 1. The stay does not include impact fees collected for the Nassau County School District, County Coordinator Edward Sealover said.

“It is my belief that we are justified in doing that for a year’s time to hopefully stimulate some additional growth in the area,” County Commissioner Mike Boyle said about reducing permit fees.

Between the two, Sealover said the expected savings to builders will be more than $1.7 million based on past statistics.

Glenn Layton, a member of the Northeast Florida Builders Association and a builder in Nassau County, said he is optimistic builders will see some success with these reductions.

“With the industry the way it’s been for the last 24 months, any reduction in cost really allows us to be able to provide a home buyer some incentives to buy a home right now,” he said.
But, despite builders’ confidence the reductions will encourage more development, Boyle said he isn’t so sure.

“I’m skeptical about the effect it will have, but I’m willing to give it a chance to see if the others are right and I’m not.”

Sealover said he will monitor both the reduction in fees and the moratorium on impact fees to see what effect they have.