Ohio farmers are seeing their property taxes increase dramatically thanks to a formula used to set a value on their farmland. The state’s two main farm groups want lawmakers to change that formula, known as the current agricultural use valuation or CAUV. It's been around for decades. Joe Logan of the Ohio Farmers Union says a combination of low crop prices and other factors have sent property taxes up by 300 to 400 percent.
Logan: "It made for a skyrocketing, an absolute explosion in the tax rates for
agricultural land."
The union and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation hope a change will be added to this year's state budget bill. That has school boards and districts concerned because of the possible impact on funding. Barbara Shaner is with the Ohio Association of School Business Officials.
Shaner: "That means the residential taxpayers in that community are going to have to pay more because of the levies that have been passed and the amount of money that needs to be raised."
A change was proposed last year but never got a vote.