State Legislature

Property tax relief one signature away in Minnesota

Property tax relief for rural Minnesota landowners is one signature away.

Minnesota Farm Bureau public policy director Doug Busselman says Governor Mark Dayton can sign into law a comprehensive tax bill passed just before the conclusion of the 2016 Legislative Session that includes needed provisions.

“Agricultural property tax payers in school districts where they have debt bonds for building improvements and things like that; they will be receiving a 40 percent credit starting with tax year 2017 for that portion of their property taxes that is attributed to school bond debt.”

He tells Brownfield the credit amounts to about $90.6 million over the next two years for agricultural property tax payers.

Busselman says while Farm Bureau appreciates the short-term fix, long-term tax reform is necessary.

“There needs to be attention given to an overall evaluation of how to make property taxes in Minnesota more realistic in terms of what goes into those property taxes and how that translates out to the ability of agricultural producers being capable of paying a tax.”

Busselman says other provisions included in the tax bill would also benefit rural Minnesotans, including reclassification of certain estates for agricultural purposes.

Governor Dayton says his support of the tax bill hinges on whether the Legislature funds some of his priorities. He has 14 days to sign the legislation.