Culture Vulture

Much to the chagrin of local builders, the city of Mesa, Ariz., is so bent on building a new Mesa Southwest Museum that cultural impact fees have risen from $59 on each new home in 1998 to $221 today. Impact fees have climbed to $8,523 per home from $5,233 nine years ago, which finally prompted the HBA of Central Arizona and the Goldwater Institute to sue the city over the fees. The lawsuit claims impact fees can only be levied for necessary services such as roads and sewers.—S.Z.

SOURCE: THE PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL