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The Oakboro Town Council recently approved reinstating a sewer fee for new construction.

Called a Sewer Impact Fee, the fee was eliminated eight years ago, Commissioner Mike Efird said, but said at a recent meeting there was a need to reinstate it.

The fee is a one-time $2,000 charge for new construction or proposed development to help pay for costs of providing public services such as water and sewer, according to town clerk Patti Efird.

She added the fees “help reduce the economic burden on local jurisdictions that provide these services.”

Efird said the town did away with the fee “as an incentive for builders to come to Oakboro when building was really slow due to the economy.”

With new construction the county is upgrading the town’s sewer treatment plant and will be sharing the cost with Locust, Stanfield and Oakboro, the commissioner explained.

“Impact fees are used for new construction and development to help pay for costs of providing public services such as water and sewer. This does not effect existing customers in any way,” Efird said.