The Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted to temporarily reduce the education portion of impact fees to zero for two years starting retroactively from June 15, 2012.  Voting 3 to 2, the Commissioners decision was based on information presented by the Director of Management and Budget, Ted Zaleski.  Zaleski stated that by law the county can only use the education impact fees it collects to provide capacity to serve growth. There are limits on how long the county can hold collected impact fees without using them. Since the money is highly restricted, the county is prohibited from using it for other educational expenses such as increased staff, facility maintenance, or any non-capacity related expenditure.

In a county press release Commissioner Haven Shoemaker stated:

“Although any effective date will be a problem for someone, it is important to pick a date that positively impacts as many citizens as possible.  I believe we’ve picked the best date for both the county and the citizens.”