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Ohio Farm Bureau calls for CAUV reform

The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation is calling for reforms to the formula used to assess property taxes on agricultural land.

Ohio Farm Bureau President Frank Burkett III says Ohio’s Current Agriculture Use Value used to assess property taxes on agricultural land doesn’t reflect the current financial situation facing Ohio farmers.

“Aspects dealing with the discount rate in the formula, recaptialization rate and so forth, but essentially these reforms make the formula more representative of what’s going on in the agricultural economy today which is the purpose of the program in the first place,” says Burkett.

He tells Brownfield an updated program could bring relief to the Ohio’s farmers.

“It allows Ohio farmers and landowners to keep their farms in agricultural production. It actually sets the tax value of that property as if it was being used for agriculture, which it is, as opposed to the urban values that might be associated with it,” says Burkett.

Burkett says the Ohio Senate has passed reform measures but the Ohio House has failed to do so in the lame duck session. Other Ohio agriculture organizations, such as Ohio Corn & Wheat and the Ohio Soybean Association have joined Ohio Farm Bureau calling for reform to CAUV.

Brownfield spoke with Burkett at the 2016 Ohio Farm Bureau Annual meeting in Columbus.

Audio: Frank Burkett III, President, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation