We had a lot of questions from our readers about the Williamson Act, which gives large landowners a break on their taxes if they raise something for agriculture and don't develop.
While we have no idea how much less in taxes is paid by these large landowners to the state, we did ask our Assessor, Leslie Davis if she could give us some figures for Calaveras County.
While she stated she wasn't sure whether this was for 2011 or 2009, in Calaveras County, there are apparently around 200 Williamson Act contracts here.
This result is in approximately $10 million less in land valuation in Calaveras County, and the taxes on that amount to the State of California is approximately $984,000.
The amount this costs Calaveras County, if we understand Davis correctly, is around 18% or $180,000 per year, or the cost of three additional Deputy Sheriff's.
The State of California used to reimburse the County a portion of this loss, but cut it off around 2009, when the state found itself in debt.
Our Board of Supervisors, led by Merita Callaway, voted to continue to give the benefit to the ranchers and large landowners to prevent development.
Therefore, we believe the Supervisors decided that the remaining landowners, who get no benefits like this, are having to make up the difference.
3 comments:
At this time I don't believe the taxpayers make up the difference.
When the CAO offers to the BOS a discussion of raising taxes; from that point on we may be subjected to making up the difference and more to cover all the deficits.
Calaveras County August 8, 2009, approximately 139,000 acres enrolled in Williamson Act Contracts. Estimated: 20% of the total land in the county.
In the State of California 50% of land is in Federal or State ownership. A 25% federal or state has been expressed for Calaveras.
The Williamson Act is the result of three interlocking statutes:
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 ("Williamson Act")allows landowners to contract with counties to conserve their properties as farmland and open space(GCS51200).
Mandatory property tax reassessments for the lands that are enforceably restricted to open space uses (California Constitution Articl XIII section 8: Revenue and Taxation Code section 421)
Open Space subventions paid by the State General Fund to counties for the Williamson Act contracted Lands (GCS16140).
2005-06 the direct subventions were about $38.7 million state wide. The latest was $1 thousand dollars state wide.
The legislature can remove 2 of the three interlocking statutes. The Constitutional one they can not remove without a vote of the PEOPLE.
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