By 2040, it is expected that about half of the people that will be living in Dawson County and the housing they occupy are not here today. That means 50,000 people are expected to live in the county by then, according to Bill Ross of Ross & Associates, who last June was charged with helping the Dawson County Board of Commissioners begin the process of updating the county’s impact fee schedule. Impact fees help offset the costs of capital improvements and services as the county develops. The services that benefit from impact fees include fire protection, law enforcement, emergency/911, the library system, parks and recreation and road improvements. Last Thursday the commission voted to approve an impact fee methodology report and impact fee schedule, which shows how impact fees are calculated, what projects the funds will be used for and the maximum cost to each new residence and business.