KILLEEN, TX — A councilwoman has started a petition in Killeen to decide who should pay for city improvements as the community expands.
The question weighed on the minds of city council leaders in December with the majority of them voting not to impose an impact fee.
However, Councilwoman Shirley Fleming has started a petition for the council to reconsider its vote and bring back impact fees to the agenda.
Developers are also weighing in on the issue.
"We've got to move Killeen forward, and otherwise we're going backwards,” said Fleming.
Impact fees are a bill issued to developers and builders to support improvements related to the "impact" of their new construction.
Supporters say developers should pay for these expansions.
With nearly 600 signatures, Fleming has started a petition to bring impact fees back to the agenda.
"I’m not really mad or have any grudge against the developers and builders,” said Fleming. “All I want them to do is the right thing. The right thing and pay their amount that they need to pay. This is simple. It's a simple equation. Either they pay or our citizens will have to pay. The City of Killeen is already paying money that they don’t have."
Some builders say after a decade of going back and forth, the issue should be left alone.
"I don’t think that less than a thousand signing a petition is a mandate,” said Don Farek, owner of Cameo Homes. “And I don’t think that's enough to bring it back before the council. I think that we've fought this issue and talked about it for ten years. We voted on it. The decisions been made.”
"If the City votes this in, they are risking economic development within the City of Killeen, so I think that they made the right decision,” added Brandi Stokes, a Realtor at Cameo Homes.
Killeen City Councilman District 4 Steve Harris has also backed the petition.
The team is hoping to garner at least 950 signatures in order to get impact fees back on the agenda.
You can stop by 1808 E. Rancier Ave in Killeen every Wednesday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to sign the petition.
In order to sign the petition, you must be a registered voter, however if you are not registered to vote, they will register you on the spot.
