The Locust City Council has approved an increase in the system development fees for new construction projects.

City Administrator Cesar Correa said Locust had a 45-day period for public comment but did not have any submitted regarding the new fees.

Previously, the city charged $2,500 in system fees along with an additional $2,500 tap fee. The new system development fee is $5,700 and the tap fee of $2,500 will still be assessed.

Councilman Harry Fletcher said he was uncomfortable with the suggestion of merging the system fees with tap fees. He expressed concerns about the infrastructure costs for the city with developments coming in, along with possible state legislation which could do away with tap fees.

“If you can’t charge your tap fees anymore, then we are out of luck. So that’s why I say, we should get what we can, and I know it sounds like we are greedy but it’s not. I just want to make sure that people who live in Locust, who have lived here a long time, are not paying for people who are coming in.”

Councilman Michael Haigler, who made the motion to increase the system fee, said most local builders would not be paying fees to build “15 or 20 homes.” He said the city “gets a lot of flack for large subdivisions coming in,” adding he did not feel fees should go “on the backs” of current Locust taxpaying citizens.