COM 0118.009 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~~~4; "y t~j r . , AGRICULTURE From front page like tomatoes and lettuce. But farmers could avoid pay- That productivity-based sys- ing higher Caxes. tem has undervalued the They could agree to continue ~ island's agricultural land by farming or ranching their land ^ TaXi n g $2.3 billion, Finance Director for 10 years and have the prop- William Takaba said. erty assessed bused on its use, the lands? Mayor Harry Kim wants to with a range of between $ld value faun and ranch lands at and $2,iX)0 an acre. between 25 percent and 75 per- Participants in the voluntary Ag parcel owners may cent of what someone would program would tine penalties if pay to own them. This switch they breach the agreement by face hike If bill passes to fair market value, to be stopping their agricultural phased in over three years, activity or selling the land By JASON ARMSTRONG would be fairer, he said. before the U~year ternt ends. Tribune-Herald staNwriter The goal is oat to increase Also, participants in the ded- The owners of 10,0(10 agricultural revenue, Kim wrote when he ication program roust sell ,tt parcels could pay more taxes under a introduced the bill in January least $2,000 worth of agricul- hill Counry Council members will dis_ 2003. But that's exactly what rural products each year. might happen. The county does nut current- cuss Tuesday. Takaba previously provided ly require any gross income to fhe bill would change the way the the Tribune-Herald with ctdcu- qurdil'y for an agriculuu'xl dcdi- comtty salves agricultural land. The lations showing how the change cation and receive the tax council'., I-'inunce Committee is set to would affect a hypothetical 10- breaks. review the proposal during its 10:30 acre parcel, of which nine acres The intent is to support crnn- u.m. meeting in Hilo. are used for pasture and valued menial agriculture by giving Currently, how agricultural land is a[ $90,000. The $19 yearly tax those landowners an advamage. used determines its value, with a low on the pasture portion would Deputy Finance Director Nancy of 31 a tm acre for the poorest pasture jump to $665 by mid-2006, pm- Crawford said. 1 to a high of 32.000 an acre for crops vided the agricultural tax rate The cvunty also would nu See AGRICULTURE Page A8 remains unchanged. longer offer 20-year dedication, i The pmposul has been culled that provide even bigger sav- I, "anti-ugricuhure and a property ings by using half of the use ' tax increase" by the Kona values [o determine the bill. FarmersAllinnce, which oppus- People now enrolled in eF the legislation. either u 10- ur JO-year dedica- The utecs on Kona cottee lion may continue with the pn,~ lands would jump tivm about gmm unlit their revpective term $1$ ?n acre Iv more Chao 5100 cods. according nr nc~ bill. a? acre, aCCOrding tU the rUdY+n,Inna Urgr,q eYtn fin`/Y'nCrR'd Uf ~rUIIp~S f.All'}' Ralyd. ~~,nnny(,~'On ir~rirP thane Itr~rPdd rnm