County ordered to refund millions

A judge has ordered the county to refund more than $4.7 million in so-called impact fees - money collected to help pay for schools and roads near new housing developments - because it didn't properly spend the money.

With interest, the county could have to pay more than $11 million, a plaintiffs' attorney said.

But homeowners who paid the fees shouldn't be counting on using their refund checks to buy last-minute Christmas presents.

Circuit Court Judge Philip T. Caroom's ruling Friday was labeled a "final order," but the class-action lawsuit, which has been slogging through the courts since 2001, is far from over. Both...