Sen. Berthel Joins Local Farmers, Advocates & Lawmakers to Fix Farmland Tax Hikes

Berthel: Governor’s tax-hike suspension a political “Band-Aid.”

Photo above:
State Sen. Eric Berthel (right) joins Guardians Farm co-owner David Buck, a Veteran business owner, at a farmer’s forum at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford on Jan. 20.

State Sen. Eric Berthel (R-Watertown) today joined hundreds of farmers and advocates from across Connecticut, including four from the 32nd District, at a public forum in Hartford to address major tax increases on farmland statewide. The increases took effect under Public Act 490, which Gov. Ned Lamont suspended hours before the forum amid opposition from farmers, advocates, and Senate Republicans.

Senator Berthel, along with Senate and House Republican leaders, convened the public forum to hear directly from farmers about how the state’s land-assessment process can be changed to include farmers’ perspectives, which they say have not been fully considered under the current formula.

Farmers from the 32nd District included David Buck of Guardians Farm and Cindy Harrison of Breezy Knolls Farm, both of Southbury; Tim Armbruster of Toplands Farm in Roxbury; and Me Lei, 28, of Woodbury. Lei, whose parents started a local dairy-goat farm that has since closed, spoke about the financial challenges farmers face and how those challenges create barriers for the next generation in Connecticut.

“Our district is home to many farmers. What I heard today echoes what I’ve been hearing for months: our farmers need help, and they need it now. They also shouldn’t need a forum like this to be heard. All legislators should already be listening. Every person under this dome should care about protecting Connecticut’s billion-dollar farming industry.

“Few truly understand the long hours, razor-thin margins, and year-round commitment it takes to run a farm. And yet, this change to farmland assessments came from behind closed doors without public input, no legislative vote. That’s wrong, and it needs to be fixed. What we’ve seen in the past 24 hours feels more like political theater. Let’s not sugarcoat it. This suspension is a temporary Band-Aid, just enough to get past election season. We’ve seen similar situations where it’s then back to business as usual after Election Day.

“Election Day is when you get to decide who’s really fighting for you. Make that decision count,” said Senator Berthel.

One by one, local farmers shared stories that underscored a common theme: as farmland taxes spike, more farmers will be driven out of the industry, with generational consequences for Connecticut’s farms, economy, and quality of life.

“If we want the next generation…like my wife and I…to be able to farm in Connecticut, its unaffordable. And, you tack on taxes like this, it makes it even more of a challenge. Unless it’s made a little bit easier for the next generation, farming will go away on the scale that [Guardians Farm] is in Connecticut,” Buck added, who is a first-generation farmer and Veteran business-owner.

Armbruster, a fourth-generation farmer and president of the Litchfield County 4-H Foundation, echoed concerns about preserving farmland and supporting the next generation of farmers.

“One of the greatest concerns we face today is the growing vulnerability of Connecticut [agriculture], especially at the same time that the state passed major legislation involving affordable housing…Conveniently during the same time period, policies were put in place that increase taxes on our farms, making agriculture landowners far more vulnerable,” he said.

“When farmland becomes more expensive to hold and land is simultaneously designated as open space suitable for development, the pressure to sell becomes overwhelming. Pricing out farms, especially family-run farms, through increased tax rates, we are committing an injustice not only against the families who have dedicated their lives to providing food for their neighbors…but also against the people of Connecticut themselves because when farms disappear, access to local high-quality food disappears with them.”

Farmers also cited flaws in the state’s data-collection process, noting a 4.02% response rate to mailed surveys that heavily influenced the valuation schedule. They raised concerns that methodological choices, including reassigning values among land types and revising the schedule without changing the underlying data, undermined confidence in the process.

The tax increases stem from a statutory change under Public Act 490, which sets assessment values for farm, forest, and open-space land based on use value rather than fair market value. The state updates those values every five years.

Senator Berthel and Senate Republicans, along with farmers and advocates, first raised concerns last week after the state announced sizable increases across most categories of eligible land.

Despite the suspension, Senator Berthel said he will continue working with colleagues to push for farmer representation in the review process, including seats on committees that provide input on assessment changes. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has acknowledged the need to change how future land values are determined.

A bipartisan grassroots petition organized by farmers, residents, and landowners has collected more than 20,000 signatures calling for corrections to the revaluation process. It is available at www.SaveCTLand.org.