Medal Round

Just about any time Carlos Beruff runs into a Manatee County commissioner these days, he extends a hand in gratitude.

A politically active homebuilder who generally supports limited government policies and politicians, Beruff doesn't merely hand out idle thanks. His gratitude is for the commission's April 2009 decision to slash impact fees on roads by 50% for two years, a reduction since continued through 2013.

Beruff says the cut in impact fees, which are taxes builders and developers pay to support infrastructure, was the catalyst that saved his company, Manatee County-based Medallion Homes. It was also the boost the business needed to come out of the downturn in growth mode. Says Beruff: “We couldn't have done it without (the cuts.)”