Lending a Hand To Local Farmers

The town’s Agriculture Commission would like to give local farmers some relief from property taxes.

Town Planner Carol Zebb presented to the commission Monday night a report evaluating the implications if the town were to implement a tax abatement program for farm buildings.

“As a fellow farmer, I’m not making money like in the past,” board member Joe DeFrancesco said. “You don’t get as much out of your product.”

Currently, North Branford farmers who make at least $15,000 in gross sales or spend that amount in expenses are only exempt from property taxes on farm machinery, Zebb said.

Zebb’s report - which she compiled with Town Assessor Christine Barta - predicted that nine active farms would qualify for the tax exemption for their farming infrastructure, at an estimated cost to the town of $19,000. The analysis was based, in part, on last year’s applicants, Zebb said.  

“In trying to figure out who would qualify, the best way was to use who had already qualified last year," she said. “It would be realistic to think people using machinery are also using buildings and are on an active farm.”

Inactive farms do not qualify for the property tax exemption for farm buildings, and each building on the property is allowed an exemption of up to $100,000 of its assessed value, Zebb said.

Before the program can move forward, however, the Town Council needs to pass an ordinance. The exemption for farm buildings is under the same 2003 state statute for farm machinery. [See attached PDFs.] Neighboring towns’ municipalities have already implemented both sections of the statute.

“Guilford has it,” Chairman Cliff Potter said. “This has been requested by the farmers and the state’s very heavy on it too. Our goal is to keep the active farmers active.”

Potter said there has been two open forums in the last few months, where farmers have come out in support of the program.

“Sure, we give them the fluff,” he said. “We need to give them some substance.”

“If this goes forward to the Town Council as an agenda item, the Agriculture Commission should present an argument,” Zebb said

Zebb acknowledged that the $19,000 figure could rise by the time the program would go into effect for next year's tax season. She said the report found three active farmers who only recently erected buildings on their property.

“We got to add that $8,000,” she said of the estimated add-on.

“It’s projection, it’s not facts,” Potter countered.

“We've got to go with the facts we have,” board member Michael Doody sided.

Members of the commission agreed to include the $19,000 figure in their proposal to the Town Council. They are hoping for a spot on the Town Council's agenda in early March.