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State Representative David Bly
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0171
For more information contact: Michael Howard 651-296-8873
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HOUSE PASSES BIPARTISAN GREEN ACRES SOLUTION
The House passed legislation on Monday to reform the Green Acres program, providing tax fairness to landowners with agricultural and non-agricultural enrolled in the property tax program. Bly said months of public input and testimony led to the Green Acres solution, which passed along with federal tax conformity legislation which allows all Minnesotans to take advantage of federal tax changes made since the 2008 session.
“The solution to Green Acres addresses the concerns of farmers and landowners who I have talked with over the past several months," said Bly, who authored a bill that had some of the language included in the final solution. “This legislation maintains our commitment to Minnesota’s farmers and landowners both now and into the future.”
The Green Acres solution, which passed by a vote of 130 to 3, includes a full repeal of the changes made last session until 2013 for all landowners with non-agricultural land. The reforms also created a new classification for non-agricultural land called “Rural Preservation” in order to provide landowners a pathway to enroll non-agricultural land in a program that would secure them the same property tax classification.
“This ensures that people currently enrolled in the program can stay in the program and it provides a fair way for landowners with non-agricultural land to stay within the same property tax classification they originally signed up for when they enrolled their land in Green Acres,” said Bly.
Although this legislation isn’t a full repeal of the changes, something many advocates supported, Bly said it was important to work towards a compromise that resolved the majority of the significant issues.
“In the Legislature you have to be able to compromise in order to get positive results,” said Bly. “Since the full repeal will last until 2013, we have the opportunity to continue examining ways to better the program next session.”
The reforms in this bill also allow those with non-conforming land to withdraw from Green Acres penalty-free until 2010 and transfer all or some of the land to any family member without threat of back taxes. In addition, the reforms clarify how the program is implemented to encourage a fairer and uniform process.
“We actually improved parts of the program that will lead to more consistent and fair practices down the road” said Bly.
The bill drew broad bipartisan support, as well as support from the Minnesota Farmers Union and the Minnesota Farmers Bureau. Rep. Bly encourages all enrolled landowners and farmers to contact him with questions about how the reforms passed today will affect them, especially if they were affected by last year’s reforms.
“These are important reforms, and I want to be sure that everyone understands them.”
Rep. David Bly can be reached by phone at 651-296-7065, by email at rep.david.bly@house.mn, or by mail at 557 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155.
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