Measure dealing with ag land tax assessment dies

Air Date:02/01/2011

By Jackelyn Severin

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee killed a bill changing the way some agricultural land is classified for property tax assessment. Currently ag land is divided into two categories, cropland and noncropland, which is determined by the land’s soil rating. Cropland is assessed at a higher rate than noncropland. House Bill 1097 allows land that has been classified has cropland to be assessed as noncropland if the owner is not using the property to raise crops. Jim Faulstich is a rancher and farmer from Highmore. He says tax policy should not dictate how producers want to use their land.

"I really feel its unfair that producers are discriminated against because they choose to do what’s probably in the best interest of the land," says Faulstich.

Oponents of the measure say counties could lose over 2 billion dollars in taxes statewide.
The committee voted 7 to 5 to defeat the measure. 

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