Office of Impact Fees
Main Contact:
Michelle Mason, Impact Fees Program Specialist
Information: 304-728-3331
Fax: 304-728-3953
Email: engineering@jeffersoncountywv.org
Office Location:
116 E. Washington Street
P.O. Box 716
Charles Town, WV 25414
Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Monday - Friday
Impact fees were first adopted in Jefferson County in 2003, under authority granted by WV Code §7-20 "Local Powers Act". The Office of Impact Fees oversees the collection of impact fees and coordinates the disbursement of these fees.
Currently, Jefferson County is collecting impact fees for public schools, county law enforcement, parks & recreation, and emergency medical services (authority: Jefferson County Ordinances 2003-3, 2005-1, 2005-2, and 2005-3). Because only residences impact the school system and park and recreational facilities, these fees are only levied against new residential development. Law enforcement and EMS services are affected by both residential and non-residential development, therefore all building permit applicants for new development are required to pay a fee for these services.
**Document Updates**
- Proposed Impact Fee Schedules (Updated November 19, 2024)
- Draft 2024 Impact Fee Recalculation Study (Updated: November 18, 2024)
For questions regarding how the fee schedule was determined, exemptions, how monies are disbursed, and other issues, please refer to the Impact Fees Frequently Asked Questions Page.
Applicants will receive an Impact Fee application at the time they request an application for a Building Permit. Although building permits may be processed in parallel with the task of processing the impact fee payment, no Building Permit may be released until the Office of Engineering receives notice that either (1) the applicant qualified for and paid an impact fee or (2) the applicant was exempt from payment of impact fees.
Building Permit and Impact Fee applications may be picked up at the Office of Engineering, located at 116 E. Washington Street, Charles Town. Impact Fee applications are processed at 116 E. Washington Street. Checks should be made payable to the Jefferson County Commission.