COMMENTARY

Harnett County asked for school impact fees. Where is the bill?

County commissioners approved a legislative request in April, but no Harnett County school impact fee bill appears in the North Carolina General Assembly’s public records. Residents deserve to know where the proposal stands.

By Eric Stevenson
July 28, 2026

Harnett County continues to grow, but growth is not free.

New residential developments can bring additional students, traffic and demand for public services. New schools, classroom additions, land purchases and other capital improvements must be funded. Without another source of revenue, much of that responsibility can fall on existing property owners.

That is why Harnett County’s proposed school impact fee deserves a clear public status update.

Commissioners approved the request

On April 14, the Harnett County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution asking the North Carolina General Assembly to authorize the county to require developers to pay a school impact fee on new residential development.

County records indicate that the proposed fee would be $1,500 and would help address school capital needs associated with residential growth.

A May 4 county agenda packet states that resolutions adopted at the April 14 meeting had been forwarded to Harnett County’s state representatives. However, the publicly available records do not identify the exact date the impact fee request was delivered, which legislative office received it or whether proposed bill language accompanied the resolution.

That is where the public trail becomes unclear.

Harnett County needs legislative approval

Harnett County cannot simply adopt a school impact fee on its own.

A March 17 presentation from the North Carolina General Assembly’s Legislative Analysis Division states that school impact fees are not authorized under the state’s general statutes. The presentation also explains that some local governments have received authority to charge impact fees through local acts passed by the General Assembly.

That means Harnett County needs a member of its legislative delegation to introduce and advance a local bill granting the county that authority.

Approving a county resolution was only the first step. The next step should have been the preparation, filing and consideration of legislation in Raleigh.

Where is the bill?

As of July 28, I have been unable to locate a House or Senate bill specifically authorizing Harnett County to impose school impact fees.

There may be proposed language in the General Assembly’s bill-drafting office. A legislator may have received the county’s request but not introduced it. Discussions may be taking place outside public view.

However, residents currently have no bill number, named sponsor, committee assignment or public legislative history to follow.

That leaves several important questions unanswered:

• When was the resolution delivered to the legislative delegation?

• Which lawmakers received it?

• Was formal bill language submitted to the General Assembly’s bill-drafting staff?

• Has a legislator agreed to sponsor the bill?

• Was the proposal rejected or delayed?

• Did the proposal miss a filing deadline?

• Is a particular lawmaker or legislative office declining to move it forward?

• What are county commissioners doing to obtain an answer?

Until county and state officials disclose the status of the request, it would be unfair to accuse a particular person of holding up the bill. It is fair, however, to ask who has it and why it has not appeared in the public legislative record.

Other Harnett County legislation received a bill number

House Bill 1028, titled “Harnett County Jetport,” provides a clear example of what happens when local legislation is formally introduced.

The bill was filed April 21. Rep. Howard Penny Jr. was listed as the primary sponsor, with Reps. Joseph Pike and Robert Reives as additional sponsors. It received a bill number, passed its first reading and was referred to legislative committees.

Residents can visit the General Assembly’s website and see who sponsored House Bill 1028, when it was filed and what actions were taken.

No similar public record appears to exist for Harnett County’s school impact fee proposal.

That difference deserves an explanation.

House Bill 298 is not the Harnett County proposal

House Bill 298, titled “Local Governments/System Development Fees,” could cause some confusion because it addresses fees related to development.

However, House Bill 298 is a statewide public bill dealing with installment payments for certain water and sewer system development fees. It does not specifically apply to Harnett County and does not authorize school impact fees. The bill was filed March 5, 2025, and was referred to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee on April 30, 2025.

It is not the local legislation requested by the Harnett County commissioners.

Growth should help pay for growth

The purpose of a school impact fee is not to punish homeowners or stop responsible development.

The principle is simple: New growth should contribute toward the additional infrastructure that growth makes necessary.

When a development adds hundreds of homes, it can eventually create demand for more classrooms, buses, teachers, school land and other public resources. Without an impact fee or another dedicated funding source, existing taxpayers may be asked to cover those costs through property taxes or public debt.

The amount of any fee, the developments subject to it and the permitted uses of the revenue should be debated publicly. The county also must ensure that the fee is legally defensible, properly calculated and connected to the effects of new development.

But that debate cannot take place until residents have an actual bill to examine.

Commissioners should release a written status report

The Harnett County Board of Commissioners should provide residents with a written update explaining what happened after the April 14 vote.

That update should include:

• A copy of any proposed bill language.

• The date the proposal was sent to state lawmakers.

• The names of the lawmakers and legislative offices that received it.

• Any legislative draft number assigned to the proposal.

• The name of any lawmaker who agreed to sponsor it.

• The reason the proposal has not received a House or Senate bill number.

• The county’s plan for moving the request forward.

If the proposal missed a legislative deadline, county leaders should explain when it can be introduced again.

If a member of the legislative delegation opposes the proposal, that lawmaker should explain the opposition publicly.

If the bill is still being drafted or reviewed, commissioners should say who is handling it and provide a reasonable timeline for the next step.

Harnett County residents deserve answers

The commissioners approved the school impact fee request April 14. County records later indicated that the resolution had been forwarded to state representatives.

More than three months later, the public still does not appear to have a bill number or clear explanation of the proposal’s status.

Who received the request?

Who agreed to handle it?

Was bill language ever drafted?

Who supports it?

Who opposes it?

What is preventing it from being introduced?

Harnett County is growing, and its school construction needs are not disappearing. Existing taxpayers should not automatically be expected to carry every new cost associated with residential development.

The county commissioners and Harnett County’s legislative delegation should tell residents where the school impact fee proposal stands, who currently has it and what must happen to move it forward.

Sources

Harnett County Board of Commissioners. “April 14, 2026, Agenda Packet.” Harnett County Government, April 14, 2026.
https://treefree.harnett.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?dbid=0&id=6555343&repo=HarnettCounty

Harnett County Board of Commissioners. “April 20, 2026, Agenda Packet,” including the April 14 regular meeting minutes. Harnett County Government.
https://treefree.harnett.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?dbid=0&id=6568865&repo=HarnettCounty

Harnett County Board of Commissioners. “May 4, 2026, Agenda Packet.” Harnett County Government.
https://treefree.harnett.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?dbid=0&id=6578502&repo=HarnettCounty

North Carolina General Assembly, Legislative Analysis Division. “An Overview of Impact Fees.” March 17, 2026.
https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewDocSiteFile/105420

North Carolina General Assembly. “House Bill 1028: Harnett County Jetport.” Filed April 21, 2026.
https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookup/2025/H1028

North Carolina General Assembly. “House Bill 298: Local Governments/System Development Fees.” Filed March 5, 2025.
https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookup/2025/H298