Sen. Berthel Stands with Local Farmers to Oppose Major Tax Hikes

Sign the Petition at: www.SaveCTLand.org

State Sen. Eric Berthel (R-Watertown) today echoed Republican support for Connecticut farmers who are facing major tax increases following changes to how state farmland is assessed.

State law (Public Act 490) sets the assessment value for farm, forest and open space property at the use value as opposed to fair market value. Every five years, the values are adjusted by the State of Connecticut.

Last month, the state announced considerable increases to the values of most types of Public Act 490-eligible land, with the most significant increase being the value of swamp land. This valuation for Connecticut swamp land went from $40 an acre to $970 an acre.

Amidst public complaints from farmers and the lawmakers, the state recently revised the schedule, eliminating the increase to swamp land. But some land categories still face significant tax spikes. (See attached chart.)

“I stand firmly with the hardworking farmers of the 32^nd District and across the state. Our current state policies are on track to hurt farmers, and must be reformed. Their voices were absent from the review process and they deserve a seat at the table,” said Senator Berthel.

He and Republican lawmakers will push for farmer representation in the review process. They want farmers included on a committee to provide input on assessment changes. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has acknowledged the need to make changes to how future land values are determined.

“We have so many generational farms in our district. They are a backbone of our economy. These farmers need predictability and affordability going forward amid costs that have skyrocketed over the years. I will not sit on the sidelines to watch farms that have been in our area for decades go out of business. I encourage everyone to sign our petition to save our farmers and the farming industry,” Senator Berthel added.

He noted that he shares farmers’ questions regarding the state’s methodology and the survey data, which appears to be arbitrary and lacking evidence. The state’s data collection methods differed from prior years and led to a very low response rate (4.02% of mailed surveys), which significantly impacted the schedule.