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Staff: perpetual conservation easements remove property from tax rolls under state law
Summary
Presenters told the committee that conservation easements held in perpetuity remove the property from the tax roll; non‑perpetual easements reduce taxable value by 50 percent, according to a staff summary of state law discussed in the meeting.
Martin County staff told the Land Acquisition Committee that, under state law, conservation easements have significant property‑tax consequences and that permanent easements are effectively removed from the tax roll.
Mike (staff member) told the committee he had researched the issue and summarized two outcomes: a nonperpetual conservation easement can reduce taxable value by about 50 percent, while a perpetual (in‑perpetuity) easement produces a full exemption from property taxes. "If it is in perpetuity... it is an exemption from property taxes," he said. Mike added that properties subject to easements that are already on the tax roll as agricultural or otherwise are often already depressed for tax purposes.
Committee members asked follow‑ups to confirm whether a county acquisition or conservation easement would remove property from the tax roll. Mike confirmed that acquisitions by the board, whether fee simple or perpetual conservation easements, would remove parcels from the tax roll and noted the rule traces to both state statute and historic constitutional amendments referenced in staff research.
Ending: The committee heard staff legal background for tax impacts on easement acquisitions and used that information while considering county commitments and partner funding structures; members signaled that tax consequences factor into how they evaluate county contributions and partner negotiations.
