SDCs & Excise Taxes

What Are System Development Charges (SDCs)?

System development charges are fees paid by new development to recover a portion of the cost of existing infrastructure and to help fund the new infrastructure necessary to serve new development. Infrastructure includes streets, the water system, sanitary and storm sewers, and parks. There are two main parts to each SDC, a reimbursement fee, and an improvement fee.  The reimbursement fee is the cost to “buy into” existing capital investment in infrastructure.  The improvement fee is the cost to fund new infrastructure made necessary by new development. SDCs are collected at the time a building permit is issued for new construction.  Existing developed properties also pay SDCs when connecting to the sanitary or storm sewers.  An incremental SDC is collected when the use of a devel­oped property intensifies—for example, requiring a larger water meter or creating a more impervious surface area.

How Are SDCs Calculated?

SDCs are calculated by consider­ing:

1. The replacement cost of existing public facilities;
2. Prior contributions of the property owner to the public facility system;
3. Public facility capacity require­ments of a particular develop­ment, and;
4. Cost of capital improvements to provide adequate capacity to new users.

SDCs in Happy Valley

SDCs in Happy Valley are administered by the City (Transportation, Parks, and City Storm Drainage SDCs, including an Administration Charge; Clackamas Co. Water Environment Services (Surface Water and Sanitary Sewer); and, by the Sunrise Water Authority and in limited areas, Clackamas River Water (Domestic Water).

Construction Excise Taxes (CET) in Happy Valley

CETs have been implemented by both the regional government (Metro) and the North Clackamas (NCSD#12) and Centennial School Districts. Currently, the Metro CET equals $0.0012 of the value of improvements for which the permit is sought.  Projects under $100,000 in value are exempted, projects over $10,000,000 have a maximum flat fee of $12,000.  The School Districts CETs equal $1.30 per-square-foot for habitable residential structure over 1,000 square feet in size, and $0.65  per-square-foot for non-residential structures to a maximum of $32,600.

• SDC Information Packet
  • TSDC Methodology Report
  • PSDC Final Report
• SDCs/CETs/Building Permit Fees (Brochure)
• Transportation and Parks SDC Rate Schedule
• Transportation and Parks SDC Rate Schedule – pdf
• Metro Construction Excise Tax
• School Construction Excise Tax
• SDC Forms
  • Statement of Use Form
  • SDC Deferral Plan Agreement Form