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New on the REAP Website
Farm Business Management Update, December 2004/January 2005
By Karen Mundy, Rural Economic Analysis Program, Communications Specialist, Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech
REAP Report: Results of Agricultural and Horticultural Use-Value Taxation Program Survey by Gordon Groover, Robert Drumheller, Beth Ann Pelletier, and Jesse Richardson. Use-value programs of one sort or another are found in all 50 states. In Virginia, approximately 90 counties and cities have some form of land taxation based on land use. The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics contracts with the State Land Evaluation Advisory Council (SLEAC) to develop "an objective methodology for estimating the use-value of land in agricultural and horticultural use." The department is also responsible for maintaining the required data base and crop and livestock budgets.
To assist in determining the full range of procedures and implementation of the use-value taxation program, a survey... was conducted during October and November 2003. The purpose of the survey was to
Survey results showed that respondents concerns focused on administrative implementation and conflicts arising from declining revenues. Policy makers need to develop comprehensive strategies to address protection of farmland and open space.
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