After several years of tax increases, legislators on verge of providing some relief
COLUMBUS – As state budget negotiators enter the final days of House-Senate budget negotiations, the Ohio Farmers Union reminds legislators that CAUV reforms contained in both versions of the budget are desperately needed – and overdue.
“We’ve been fighting for some meaningful changes in the CAUV formula since around 2012,” said OFU President Joe Logan.
“It’s been a long haul, and along the way farmland property taxes have increased 300 percent or more for family farmers in every corner of Ohio, Logan said.
Logan points out that while farmland property taxes have skyrocketed, other small businesses in Ohio have seen large tax breaks.
“Family farms, which have struggled to generate income in an era of low commodity prices, are perhaps the only small business category that have been taxed more while others’ taxes have decreased over the past three state budgets.”
CAUV, or Current Agricultural Use Valuation, is the way farmland property tax values are determined.
What I would like to know why didn’t I get to prorate my tax increase in 2008, 2011, and 2014 like the Schools are clamoring for now. I had about a 130% increase in taxes each cycle yet the full increase was due at tax time. I have parcels that are paying 12 times more taxes than 2005, I know of other parcels in Seneca County that are paying 22, 26 and 28 times more than 2005. Yet the decrease has to be “adjusted” not to hurt any of the tax recipients. That means I might get 8 to 10% the 1st year and in 3 years another 8 to 10%. That’s certainly going to give me “much needed” relief! This whole thing is just a big joke, nobody seems to care there are farmers going out of business because they can’t afford the Real Estate taxes! My local school district has gotten 82% more Real Estate tax collections 2014 compared to 2005. I get an 8 to 10% reduction because I am so gullible and cooperative!