Board reviews recommendation to adopt municipal farm equipment and building exemptions

The East Haddam Board of Selectmen on Wednesday reviewed a recommendation from the town’s agriculture commission to adopt municipal property exemptions for farm equipment and farm buildings under state law.

Chair read a letter from Aaron Taylor, identified in the package as chair of agricultural innovation, urging the town to implement the state-authorized local options that could provide up to $500,000 in assessed-value exemptions for farm buildings (and additional equipment exemptions), and estimating an implementation cost to the town “up to $15,000 in lost tax revenue.”

Selectmen said they support studying the proposal but asked for an assessor-led evaluation to calculate likely revenue impacts for East Haddam. One member noted a prior town (Canton) had used similar exemptions as part of an anti-development strategy and recommended the attorney draft ordinance language if the board decides to proceed.

Board members emphasized this is a local option requiring a formal ordinance, review by town counsel and, if approved, a vote through the board of finance and town meeting. "Those resolutions are just resolutions to pass an ordinance; you still have to create the ordinance," a board member said. The board agreed to collect comparative examples from other municipalities, obtain a precise assessor estimate, and continue the discussion at a future meeting.

Next steps: staff will ask the assessor to quantify revenue impacts and prepare materials for a follow-up meeting; any ordinance would be drafted by legal counsel before public hearing and a town meeting vote.