Bill Text: NJ A5173 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires tax assessors to consider most current available evidence of agricultural and horticultural capability when assessing farmland.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-08-24 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A5173 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A5173-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires tax assessors to consider most current available evidence of agricultural and horticultural capability when assessing farmland.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the assessment of farmland and amending P.L.1964, c.48.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 7 of P.L.1964, c.48 (C.54:4-23.7) is amended to read as follows:
7. The assessor in valuing land which qualifies as land actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use under the tests prescribed by P.L.1964, c.48 and the guidelines describing generally accepted agricultural and horticultural practices developed and adopted pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2013, c.43 (C.54:4-23.3d), and as to which the owner thereof has made timely application for valuation, assessment and taxation hereunder for the tax year in issue, shall consider only those indicia of value which such land has for agricultural or horticultural use. In addition to use of personal knowledge, judgment and experience as to the value of land in agricultural or horticultural use, the assessor shall, in arriving at the value of such land, consider the most current available evidence of agricultural and horticultural capability derived from the soil survey data at Rutgers, The State University, the National Co-operative Soil Survey, the recommendations of value of such land as made by any county or Statewide committee which may be established to assist the assessor, and the guidelines describing generally accepted agricultural and horticultural practices developed and adopted pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2013, c.43 (C.54:4-23.3d).
(cf: P.L.2013, c.43, s.3)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require tax assessors to consider the most current available evidence of agricultural and horticultural capability when assessing farmland.
Current law requires tax assessors to consider available evidence of agricultural and horticultural capability derived from the soil survey data at Rutgers, The State University, the National Co-operative Soil Survey, the recommendations of value of such land as made by any county or Statewide committee which may be established to assist the assessor, and guidelines developed by the State Board of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture describing generally accepted agricultural and horticultural practices.
This bill would clarify that the evidence considered by a tax assessor shall be the most current available evidence, in order to prevent the misvaluation of farmland resulting from the consideration of outdated information, such as soil surveys.
