Sussex County voters know a tax when they see one. They dismissed attempts to paint the voluntary school assessment as a tax bogeyman and the Sussex County Council members who peddled this spin. As has been correctly noted in this paper’s editorials and in various letters to the editor, the VSA is an impact fee – a one-time payment imposed on a property developer.
We voted in new county council representation who are receptive to implementing the VSA school impact fee. With broad voter and school district support, it’s time to get this done. Our school infrastructure needs funding to keep up with increasing enrollment.
New Castle and Kent counties have enjoyed VSA revenues since 1999 and 2006, respectively. Cape Henlopen School District officials calculated that if Sussex County had a VSA school impact fee in place 10 years ago, schools could have received $35 million for new construction projects – a sum equivalent to the cost of one new elementary school – to address growth from new housing developments.
We look forward to the new perspective on county council that we voted for. No more excuses.
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