Supervisors to consider non-renewal of substandard grazing land in Williamson Act

On Tuesday morning the Tulare County Board of Supervisors will vote to weed out more “subpar lands” under Williamson Act contracts with the county.

Potentially affected properties would be “non prime” farmland, such as grazing lands in the foothills that are less than 40 acres.

Without subvention funding from the state — which totaled $3.4 million in the last fiscal year — county leaders have already stopped extending new contracts to landowners seeking property tax breaks for using their land for agricultural purposes. Additionally, in October, the Board of Supervisors approved the removal of 1,245 acres of “prime” lands that were less than 10 acres per parcel and were not used for agricultural purposes.

Options now on the table at Tuesday’s meeting include directing county staff to complete the non-renewal of “non prime” parcels less than 40 acres of size, to find other funding options to backfill the Williamson Act and the elimination of all contracts — but a batch non-renewal of all contracts appears unlikely, according to Resource Management Agency Director Jake Raper.

“My assumption is that they will not go for that option in this point in time,” he said. “My presumption is that they would tell us to do the first option and [find other funding sources.] There’s a big push statewide for counties to look for alternatives.”

Enacted in 1965, the Williamson Act allows the state to reimburse counties when they lower property taxes for landowners who use their acreage for agricultural purposes. Schwarzenegger first reduced the program’s subvention fund to $1,000 statewide last July, when he used his veto power to trim the Williamson Act, and other programs, from the 2009-2010 budget. The governor’s proposed 2010-11 budget does not restore any funding.

Private landowners who sign minimum 10-year rolling contracts with the county voluntarily restrict their land to agricultural uses and compatible open-space. In return, their restricted parcels are assessed for property tax purposes at a rate consistent with their actual use, rather than potential market value.

Raper said that if directed by the Board of Supervisors to research alternative funding sources, he will gather ideas Wednesday during a brainstorming session with other California county leaders and staff at a meeting in Fresno.

The Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the County Administration Building, located at 2800 W. Burrel Ave. in Visalia.