Plans to increase living rates in Osceola County are being questioned

The cost to live in one Central Florida community could soon double, but 9 Investigates learned plans to raise rates are now being questioned.

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Only a Channel 9 investigation into errors found in a proposed plan that could cost thousands.

Osceola County Commissioners and the City of St. Cloud want to raise rates on new homes to keep up with the number of people moving into the area.

But Channel 9 also learned that the mobility fee for 2024 was reduced.

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Ask anyone in Osceola County, and they will tell you traffic is a nightmare.

Ask any commissioner or council member what it will take to fix it, and they will tell you money.

That is why the mobility fees are going up.

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If voted for, the mobility fees would be the highest in the state.

Mobility fees are a one-time charge assessed to new developments for their impacts on the local transportation network.

The proposed fees were so high that the Greater Orlando Builders Association hired consultants to assess the study.

The increases are rather high on the residential and commercial sides, so Channel 9 wanted to check the numbers. The study found a list of errors, including the 2024 mobility fee.

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The fee will charge new growth for more capacity than the project needs, is based on inaccurate calculations, and is likely charging new growth for existing deficiencies.

“The review has also found that there are significant issues with the analysis, data, and methodology used to update the mobility fee,” the consultants wrote. “These issues are so significant that they appear to result in proposed mobility fees that are overcharging development by more than 50%.…does not meet legal and statutory requirements.”

A spokesperson for the City of St. Cloud said the vote was moved after the new study came out.

After a new document is used, those figures will be reduced by thousands.

The city council expects to vote on it next month.

The spokesperson for Osceola County would not return a request for information.

Not one commissioner returned by email asking questions about what they would do on Monday since the mobility fees are scheduled for a vote.

There could be a meeting as early as Friday with all parties involved to discuss.

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