§7-20-8. Use and administration of impact fees.

(a) Revenues collected from the payment of impact fees shall be restricted to funding new and additional capital improvements or expanded or extended public services which benefit the particular developments from which they were paid. Except as provided herein, to ensure that developments for which impact fees have been paid receive reasonable benefits relative to such payments, the use of such funds shall be restricted to areas wherein development projects are located. County commissions shall have discretion in determining geographical configurations related to the expenditure of impact fee collections.

(b) Impact fees may only be spent on those projects specified in the capital improvement plan described in this article.

(c) When impact fees are collected, the county commission shall enter into agreements with any affected party providing new development in order to ensure compliance with the provisions of this article.

(d) Impact fee receipts shall be specifically earmarked and retained in a special account. All receipts shall be placed in interest-bearing accounts wherein the interest gained thereon shall accrue. All accumulated interest shall be published at least once each fiscal period. The county commission shall provide an annual accounting for each account containing impact fee receipts showing the particular source and amount of all such receipts collected, earned, or received, and the capital improvements and public services that were funded, in whole or in part, thereby.

(e) Impact fees shall be expended only in compliance with the plan. Impact fee receipts shall be expended within six years of receipt thereof unless extraordinary and compelling reasons exist to retain them beyond this period. Such extraordinary or compelling reasons shall be identified and published by the county commission in a local newspaper of general circulation for at least two consecutive weeks.