Eddie Boswell says county shouldn’t pursue impact fees.

By Issac Groves, staff writer for the Times-News

Reprinted with permission from the Burlington Times-News

North Carolina builder Eddie Boswell has not been politically involved before, but he is now running for county commissioner in Alamance County.

Boswell, 51, said he had not even realized he was a registered Democrat until he filed to run for county commissioner.  He said he votes for candidates rather than parties and generally favors Republicans.

The two issues Boswell talks about first are government spending and, no surprise, impact fees.

“Personally, I think the impact fees are terrible because, at the present time, home building is what’s supporting the economy of the county,” Boswell said.  “I understand that the state is taking money from the counties, and the counties are scrambling for money, and I’m hoping I can help with that.”

Boswell said impact fees would amount to double taxation on new home buyers.  He said builders would add the fee to the cost of the home, and that added cost would increase the taxable value of the house and thus increase the annual tax bill.

Boswell said he would like to make impact fees unnecessary by cutting costs, though he has not yet figured out where to cut.

“I feel like the county is a little extravagant, in my opinion, as far as spending,” Boswell said.

Boswell has been a builder for 25 years and is active in the Home Builders Association of Burlington-Alamance County.  Still, he said he would not see a conflict in voting on impact fees.  But he still would not cast that vote.

“Number one, it’s illegal,” Boswell said.  “The county commissioners don’t have permission from the state legislature.”

While Boswell is not shy about saying the commissioners need a builder’s perspective, he said he would not just be a builders’ commissioner.  He said the commissioners need to do a better job of listening to everyone who comes before them.

Boswell, who lives in Burlington, is an Alamance County native and graduate of Williams High School and Elon College.  He is a member of St. Mark’s Church in Burlington.

Boswell is a past president of the local Home Builders Association, represented the local association in the state association and chaired the state Home Builders Association’s Regulatory Affairs Committee.