DADE CITY - The Pasco County Commission moved ahead with plans Tuesday to raise impact fees another $3,000 for a single-family home to keep up with the demands of growth.

The total increase - roughly a 25 percent jump for each new house - would pay for new parks, expanded water and sewer services and a list of sheriff's projects, including jail expansion and new equipment. Utility and parks fees would go up, and the law enforcement fee would be new.

Commissioners told staff Tuesday to draw up the ordinances, which would be discussed and voted upon at future public hearings.

Pasco also has impact fees to pay for roads, libraries, fire service, hurricane preparation and schools, which generally total about $12,000 per home. Businesses can expect to pay thousands more, varying by their type and size.

But the proposed increases come as the real estate industry is softening, interest rates are going up and home insurance rates are rising.

"It's going to be a pressure on the affordability of housing - that's clear," said land use attorney Robert Williams of Tampa, who has represented Pasco builders. "The general feeling among the development community is we don't mind paying our share. We just want to make sure we're not paying for deficiency."

Acknowledging the concern, Commissioner Pat Mulieri said one option may be reducing fees on affordable housing.

The biggest hit on home-buyers would be the utility impact fees. They would increase nearly $2,200 per housing unit - the first uptick since 1999. Parks and recreation fees would go up $190 per home. The law enforcement charge would add $650.

And Pasco probably is not done. The county is studying raising its road impact fees, which are $3,900 per home. The increase would be "substantial," but assistant county administrator Bipin Parikh declined to give specifics because the proposal was still being drafted.

The fees would be reviewed periodically to meet growth trends. That didn't happen soon enough for the utility services, which are facing a stiff fine and major upgrades ordered by the state for breakdowns.

"Hindsight being 20-20, maybe we should have made the adjustments sooner," said Bruce Kennedy, director of utilities.

For example, Parks and Recreation director Rick Buckman said parks impact fees were set in 2001 based on the county having 383,000 people in 2010. The population already passed that mark, and is projected to be 482,000 in 2010.

County officials told the commission they want growth to pay for itself, instead of making existing taxpayers cover the cost. But steep proposed hikes prompted a Pasco's citizens review panel on impact fees to suggest lower utility increases than what the county's consultant first recommended.

But paring down the increase would mean Pasco would collect an estimated $50-million less through 2015, according to consultant Wade-Trim Inc. of Tampa. To make it up, the county would have to increase utility rates 7.1 percent.

"Would that in effect mean existing rate payers would have to pay for new growth?" asked Commissioner Ted Schrader. The consultant said yes.

Commissioners will consider phasing in the higher recommendation over several years.