Board of Selectmen Meeting September 9, 2024 Public Hearing Farms

Public Hearing Farm Exemptions and Waivers

As a taxpayer, I am concerned when the taxing authority picks selected groups to incentivize.

All reductions in taxes given to one group adds taxes to other taxpayers.

All tax incentives and abatements should be accompanied with an equal reduction in the budget.

All tax incentives should be income based on household and business income, not only income from the farm but assets on the property.

Horses should be taxed if they are generating income to households and businesses as personal property.

All people asking to be incentivized should submit a tax return showing their gross yearly income and assets.

Gentleman farms and commercial financial groups should be omitted from exemptions.

Many taxpayers in town are not incentivized with assets of $250,000.

Why is $250,000 a magic number?

Incentivizing a family farm is a benefit to the community.

Can the town supply what the lost revenues would be if these incentives were enacted?

Why should a moderate-income taxpayer pay more while the town is incentivizing a gentleman farmer?

This proposal should be rewritten to incentivize the needy family farmer, not the gentleman farmer or business that can pay their way,

It appears that the rich lobbyists are once again writing laws that give incentives to the rich at the expense of the moderate-income taxpayer.

This proposal should be rejected, as written.