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Dennis told the supervisors. And like all members of an AFD, landowners with open space make a commitment not to change the use of their property for a term that could be as long as 10 years, he pointed out. “It really is a protection against abuse.”
“Land is the only thing that counties have to tax,” countered Supervii- sor Ellis Bingham. Undeveloped land in Agricultural and Forestal Districts and in the land use taxation program “costs the county because it can’t draw fair taxation from that land ... So I don’t like what I’m hearing from you,” Col. Bingham told PEC’s president.
But farm and forest land and open space require no expenditure of county funds for schools, police, or fire and rescue services, countered Supervisor Nelson Lane. Undeveloped land “is a revenue source, not a revenue drain,” he added.
Studies show that even under use value, farm land returns (in local taxes) about five times what it costs in services, Mr. Dennis said. Use value taxation does put a higher tax burden on improvements, but that burden is shared alike by subdivision residences and farm houses and barns, he noted.
And the preferential assessment program is designed to preserve farm and forest land and open space for the benefit of all taxpayers, Mr. Dennis added. “All I can say is, look at what’s happening to the counties around us.” As an example, the average tax bill in Prince William County will jump 22 percent this
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