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Senate amends Greenbelt / farmland assessment rules after lengthy debate; bill advanced to third‑reading calendar
Summary
Senate Bill 45 — changes to Greenbelt and farmland-assessment rules including when property loses Greenbelt status, reinstatement procedures and notification/rollback timing — drew extensive floor debate. After amendments and recorded disclosures of conflicts, the Senate voted to place SB45 on the third‑reading calendar (28 ayes, 0 nays).
Senate Bill 45, which revises Greenbelt (farmland assessment) rules, commanded extended floor time Feb. 4 as senators negotiated language about when land ceases to qualify, whether building permits or surface improvements should trigger loss of status, and how owners can petition for reinstatement.
Sponsors proposed replacing a reference to "completed building permits" with the narrower phrase "surface improvements in place" to avoid rewarding partial or stalled subdivisions. The bill also added a pathway allowing landowners whose subdivisions stalled for economic reasons to petition the county assessor for reinstatement; the proposal included qualifying criteria such as a two‑year continuous agricultural use and minimum acreage thresholds and production tests. Floor questions sought to clarify that reinstatement would not refund taxes already paid and would not erase prior rollback liabilities.
A contentious thread concerned rollback penalties and notice. Senators debated extending the notification window from 90 to 180 days and whether county assessors could reliably detect changes in land use; several senators suggested statutory notice on tax statements or administrative practices rather than burdensome new statutory duties for county recorders.
During final floor consideration, numerous senators disclosed potential conflicts of interest (many members acknowledged owning property in Greenbelt). After debate and adoption of multiple amendments, the Senate called the question on third reading for SB45; the clerk announced 28 ayes and no nays, and the bill was placed on the third‑reading calendar.
What happens next: SB45 will be considered on third reading; sponsors said they will coordinate with fiscal analysts and county officials to refine enforcement and notification details before final passage.
