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authorizing the use of impact fees to provide for one or more types of public <br /> facility. Of this group, two counties (Orange and Chatham) are authorized to <br /> adopt impact fees for school purposes.2s <br /> <br /> There is evidence, however, that express enabling legislation authorizing <br />impact fees may not always be needed in North Carolina. The statutes allowing <br />North Carolina cities to finance public enterprises and to fix rates, fees, and <br />charges for services furnished by a public enterprise (G.S. 160A-313, -314) <br />have been held to authorize implicitly the use of impact fees to fund capital <br />improvements to water and sewer systems.2~ In addition, the North Carolina <br />Supreme Court recently held that municipal authority must be construed <br />broadly and that the power of cities to charge "user fees" to recover the costs of <br />reviewing land development proposals may be implied from the zoning, land <br />subdivision control, and other development control enabling statutes.3o <br />The Rational Nexus Test <br /> <br /> Most state courts require exactions to be properly and.fairly related to the <br />need for new public facilities generated, by a new development. It is indeed true <br />that exactions such as requirements that a developer construct.and dedicate a <br /> <br /> 28. Both counties are 'authorized by the same local act. 1987 N.C. Sess. Laws ch. 460, §§ 4- <br /> <br /> 12.1 (Chatham County), §§ 17-18.1 (Orange County). <br /> <br /> 29 Soulh Shell Investment v. Town of Wrightsville Beach, 703 F. Supp. 1192 (E.D.N.C. 1988), <br /> <br />aft"d, 900 F.2d 255 (4th Cir. 1990) (unpublished). Virtually identical statutes apply to counties. <br />G.S. 153A-276, -277. <br /> <br />3o Homebuilders' Ass'n of Charlotte, Inc. v, City of Charlotte, 999 N.C. 999, 999 S.E,2d 999 <br /> <br />(1994), rev'g 109 N.C. App, 327, 427 S.E.2d 160 (1993). See a/so River Rirch Associales v. City <br />of Raleigh, 326 N.C. 100, 388 S,E.2d 538 (1990) ipower to require land dedication under <br />Subdivision ordinance, like other local governmental powers, must be construed broadly). <br /> <br /> <br />