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Committee backs S 264 to require property-owner consent for farm annexations
Summary
Senate Finance subcommittee reported favorably on S 264, which would require express written consent of the property owner before municipal annexation of farm or agriculture-assessed property. Supporters said the bill protects farmland and clarifies default tax treatment for unimproved agricultural land.
The Senate Finance Committee gave a favorable report to S 264, a bill that would require municipalities to obtain the express written consent of a property owner before annexing farm property or land assessed as agricultural.
Senator Verdon, chair of the subcommittee for the bill, said S 264 and a companion measure were part of a combined legislative effort last year. He told the committee the bill received favorable testimony from agricultural interests, including the Farm Bureau Federation, and that it is intended to protect rapidly diminishing acreage currently used for agricultural production.
Members discussed practical tax-administration concerns tied to the statute that triggers a three-year rollback when a property's use changes. Senator Buford and Senator Davis noted inconsistent practices across counties: different assessors use varying criteria to determine when a change of use occurs, which complicates proration of rollback tax obligations during sales. Senator Davis said he may propose an amendment on the floor to establish more objective criteria for assessors when determining change-of-use triggers.
Senator Verdon moved for a favorable report and committed to continued examination of the change-of-use question with Senator Buford. The motion was seconded and the committee voted unanimously in favor.
The transcript does not list a floor amendment text or a final enforcement date. Committee members said statutes address acreage thresholds, but the subcommittee record did not specify exact acreage definitions or limits; one senator said municipalities may classify parcels of five acres or more as agriculture in some counties, while noting that profitable agriculture can occur on smaller parcels.
The bill will move forward with the committee's favorable recommendation; the subcommittee committed to follow-up on assessor criteria for rollback calculations.
