Berkeley County adopts updated impact-fee capital improvement plan amid debate over fee caps

The Berkeley County Commission on June 11 approved an updated capital improvement plan that guides how the county may spend impact-fee revenue collected from new development.

Deputy County Administrator Chad Wimber told commissioners the plan incorporates expanded school projects — including a proposed career and technical education center in Martinsburg — and parks investments such as reimbursement for a parcel on Hamilton Road and a proposed Martinsburg skate park. Wimber said the allocations reflect current project lists and that actual reimbursements will lag collections as fiscal year 2026 accounting closes.

During debate, several commissioners pushed to raise the county’s residential impact-fee caps to capture additional revenue for county administration, parks and schools; one commissioner argued modest increases could yield “three or $400,000 more” annually. Wimber and staff cautioned that commercial impact fees are legally and technically complex: consultant calculations had produced very large commercial figures and staff recommended careful study to avoid unintentionally discouraging small commercial development or inviting legal challenge.

The commission voted to adopt the capital improvement plan as presented and directed staff to return with more detailed analysis and options before considering any adjustments to fee levels or a commercial fee structure.

The vote finalized this year’s list of projects eligible for impact‑fee funding; any fee-rate changes would require a separate action and, depending on design, could prompt additional public process.