Your property value, along with school impact fees, could rise soon.

In a 4-1 vote, the DeKalb City Council accepted the first reading of an ordinance to increase school impact fees from $50,000 per acre to $80,000 per acre.

The passing of the ordinance met some opposition.

Mayor Greg Sparrow remained quiet during discussions, but spoke up after the meeting.

“The city of DeKalb gets the pleasure of passing this when other towns get to benefit from it,” Sparrow said, referring to Cortland and Malta, which would not pay any impact fees if the ordinance passes.

Sparrow believes if impact fees are increased in DeKalb, then Cortland and Malta should do the same.

Despite this, four of the five aldermen in attendance said passing the ordinance was vital.

“We can’t continue to lay on the old-time taxpayers,” said 5th ward Ald. Pat Conboy. “I am not going to consider any resolutions for annexation until this is passed.”

Second ward Ald. Kris Povlsen echoed the same sentiment.

First ward Ald. Andy Small questioned the ordinance. He said the impact fees only should be increased if they would help cover the cost of new developments, both retail and residential, in the city.

Other questions arose about when the impact fees would be implemented.

As Brian Ali, DeKalb Community School District 428 Superintendent, explained, the fees would come when the residential houses are plotted. The district believes that this increase is needed to provide the capital necessary to improve existing schools and to build new ones.

Long-time DeKalb resident Cliff Simonson backed Sparrow. Simonson said over time the impact fees would increase and end up costing citizens much more than the proposed amount.

He added that a homeowner would end up paying more than $4,000 a year, while developers would pay a minimum amount.

“You will be destroying some of the best farmland in the world, if you allow this,” Simonson said.

The ordinance was passed, but awaits input from absent aldermen Michael Knowlton and Joseph Sosnowski before it is passed indefinitely.