Mascaro's bill would aim to keep property taxes down for existing homeowners.

He says it would require a district wanting to assess an impact fee to put it to a public vote, like a bond election.

Developers wouldn't have to pay the impact fees up front when they apply for a building permit, Mascaro said. Rather, they'd get a lien placed on the home for the amount of the impact fee. When the house was sold, the fee would be listed as part of the closing costs, and the title company would collect it at closing. The title company then would issue a check to the school district, as it issues checks to others associated with closing costs.

Mascaro says developers already pass the fees on to consumers in the price of the home, and this way, consumers would see exactly what they're paying.

Also, cities wouldn't have to become the school districts' fee collecting agency, Mascaro said.

"Will it make it so (cities and developers) jump up and down and say, 'This is a wonderful idea?' Not at all," Mascaro said. "But it takes some of the sting out of it."

"We'd love to sit down with (Rep.) Mascaro" and discuss his ideas, Shurtz said. "Certainly there are some issues and technical issues that need to be looked at."

Shurtz also wonders whether voters should approve a tax on a group that's not part of the voting public yet, as the impact fees would be for new home buyers.

But Mascaro doesn't think that will be the case. He said many people who vote on the concept could be buying newer homes in the same area, or people living in apartments.

Realtors association CEO Chris Kyler says school impact fees wouldn't make sense because they'd be paid for by a small segment of society, affect housing affordability and slow Utah's booming housing market.

"The bill is a bad idea all the way around," Kyler said. "It's patently counter, philosophically, to the rest of our tax system, and most importantly, going to harm those who can least afford to be harmed," including first-time homebuyers and the elderly looking for smaller homes.

But Riverton Mayor Bill Applegarth favors impact fees to help build schools. His city is expected to grow from 33,000 to up to 55,000 people in 15 years. Just under half of its population is under 18 years old.

While he's unsure if more schools will be built in the area, "we need to be a team player with the Herrimans that don't have a high school and the Bluffdales that don't and the South Jordans who will need one," Applegarth said.

"I think the school is an infrastructure that's critical, just like where we have other impact fees for roads or sewers or parks," he said. "I think (Mascaro) has some very, very good ideas."

E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com