North Branford Town Council Denies Farmers Tax Abatement

Ryan VanWilgen, member of the Agriculture Commission spoke to the North Branford Town Council on behalf of the farmers at the Aug. 9 meeting.

The issue of farmers receiving tax abatement for building structures that have been classified as farming entities on farms that make at least $15,000 income annually was an issue introduced at the . A faulty list produced by North Branford Town Assesor Christine Barta halted any discussion of the issue.

Many disheartened and frustrated farmers met with Barta to correct the list that would be presented at the continuance at the Aug. 9 meeting.

"I've been to three farmer open forums," said VanWilgen. "Outbuilding tax abatement discussion was an issue at all three meetings."

VanWilgen said the worked with Barta to establish an official list of farms that would qualify for the exemption. Nineteen farms were identified and the town would, therefore, lose an estimated $36,000 in tax money from the tax abatement.

Barta added, "To my knowledge, the list includes every possible out building that qualifies for the exemption. If other buildings were overlooked or are built, the total may be subject to adjustment."

Farm owner Joe DeFrancesco addressed the council: "We've been around the town for four generations, we keep the kids going in the business. Times are not great anymore, which is hurting us a lot. It's a good time for the town to listen to us and help us out. Close to 20 towns have done it in Connecticut so far, I think it's about time we did it."

Joan Nichols, Government Relations Farm Specialist at the Connecticut Farm Bureau, was in attendance to speak to the council on behalf of the farmers.

"I work with farms to work on these tax reduction programs. When the towns have visted this, I've yet to be before a town that has not passed the ordinance once they've seen the numbers," she said. "Agriculture is one of the bright spots. We've actually seen an increase in growth sales since 1992. When we don't keep our farms working, that impacts that economic engine. While our farmers are hurting from the economy, the agriculture sector is growing. Anything you can do to help that is a benefit to the next generation."

Council member Joseph Faughnan did not appear to be convinced by the evidence.

"I am not in any way suggesting or doubting that there are farms who needs this, but it doesn't appear that the applicant needs to prove any more than that they just make $15,000 to get the exemption," said Faughnan. "I see no correlation between their qualification and making $15,000 a year."

Nichols responded by explaining the purpose of the exemption and what it would mean for the town.

"It's not really related to hardship. Once you lose farmland, you can never get that back," said Nichols. "Tax reduction programs deal with the realization that there's a huge economic cost to running a farm. We're looking at it more like protecting a resource so that you don't end up putting that resource into a hardship. The general assembly realizes this, to protect our working lands, it helps the farms, helps the balance sheet, it keeps us working. If we lose our farmers we lose that sense of community."

Council member Vincent Caprio spoke up the remind the council, "We're going to be $500,000 in the hole for next year's budget before we even start."

DeFrancesco added that protecting open space saved the town money on expenditures that would have to be set aside to fund whatever homes or schools that might end up being built on abandoned farms. He also added the majority of the town's people find open space a very attractive asset to their neighborhood.

The property tax exemption was motioned by the council, up for discussion and met by silence for several seconds. Faughnan finally spoke up and began the deliberation.

"There are very few businesses in this community that are not hurting economically. Every one of them have a bona fide interest in minimizing their taxes," said Faughnan. "We, as a fiscal body, have a responsibility to make decsions that are in the entire town's best inrerest. While I'd very much like to say that I'd like to do something that assists the farmers, that's $36,000 we need to find from other taxpayers in town who may be economically hurting as well. We should think long and hard about giving subsidies to specific groups simply because we are asked to. It's not being a representative government to give subsidies to one group and not another."

Caprio added, "We have senior citizens who have to choose between medicine and food every month."

Council member Rose Marie Angeloni suggested that the timing was simply unfortunate.

"We already know how much we're behind the 8-ball in our budget for next year," said Angeloni, "It's not that I am against this, I am totally for it. I support the markets in this town. The timing is not good. The seniors have been asking for a lot of things, I would like to be able to do something for both; maybe see if they can work something out to see if they can find something not as taxing on the town and maybe give some to the seniors."

Deputy Mayor Michael J. Doody as well as council members Andrew Esposito III and Donald J. Fucci II voted yes on the ordinance; Mayor Anthony Candelora along with Angeloni, Caprio, Faughnan and Joanne S. Wentworth voted no on the ordinance; and council member Alfred Rose abstained.

"I guess that means 'no,'" said DeFrancesco from the back of the room. After the ordinance did not pass, the farmers left the meeting room.

"We're done," said DeFrancesco in the hallway of Town Hall. DeFrancesco said he has no plans to sell his land and that the Agriculture Commission has no plans to pursue the ordinance again.