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State Representative Tony Cornish
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4240
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
NEWS RELEASE
REP. CORNISH SPONSORS BILL REPEALING GREEN ACRES CHANGES
ST. PAUL – In order to spare many farmers and rural landowners from catastrophic property tax consequences, State Representative Tony Cornish (R-Good Thunder) is co-authoring legislation that would return the “Green Acres” program to its previous standards.
Cornish said Green Acres allowed farmers to enroll land as an alternative to selling it to a developer. The trade off was that the land was taxed at a lower agricultural rate as opposed to fair market value. Those standards changed dramatically last session.
“In 2008, the Legislature approved Green Acres changes that reduce program eligibility and eliminate non-productive land from being enrolled in the program,” Cornish noted. “The new law also punished those who currently utilize the program. According to the new statute, when their land is taken out of Green Acres, sold, or transferred, they would be responsible for paying taxes on the exempted land for up to seven years.”
Cornish said the bill he’s co-authoring would simply repeal the changes made to Green Acres and reestablish the guidelines that were in place prior to 2008. This reversal would allow all parties – farmers, landowners, assessors and lawmakers – to debate the merits of the program thoroughly in House committees before making any final adjustments.
“County assessors as well as the affected property owners need answers soon so they can make the necessary adjustments,” Cornish said. “Without changes to Green Acres this year, some folks will face a $40,000 tax bill and others will be forced to shut down their family farms.”
If you have any questions regarding the new Green Acres law, Rep. Cornish urges you to contact him by email at rep.tony.cornish@house.mn, or by phone at 800-704-8525 or 507-380-5018 for more information.
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