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Board Gels Report On Land Use
The Board of Supervisors on December 3 were advised in a memo from Commissioner of Revenue Merle Scoggins that taxable real estate value declined by nearly $2.5 million due to eligible land-use applications.
Since 1982, landowners in Rappahannock who meet certain criteria , can have their land assessed for taxes on the basis of use rather than fair market value. Taxes can be reduced if the land’s use is designated as agricultural, forestal or horticultural. ‘This is the lowest loss we’ve had in land use (since the program began),” Mrs. Scoggins said.
Decreased taxable value leads to less revenue coming into county coffers, which could make an increase necessary in the real estate tax levy, now set at $0.50 per $100 of assessed value.
“Agricultural land actually requires less money for upkeep than anything else,” Mrs. Scoggins said, adding that she believes land use is “good if it’s not abused.” Land-use taxation helps property owners keep huge parcels of land for the uses specified: land that otherwise might be broken up and sold off in smaller parcels.
The people who receive a land-use classification have to continue to use the bind in the way it qualified or a roll-back tax will have to be paid,” Mrs. Scoggin said. “We shouldn’t have too many more applications coming in now since most of the owners who are eligible have already filed.”
70.9%