11/03/2006

Con: New tax hurts farmers

BY TOM TRIEBES

The proposal is to tax us all ½ mill for 15 years. This will amount to $23,000,000 over the 15 years with real growth and inflation. This proposal should be defeated for many reasons:

1) It is not fair to tax everyone for the economic benefit of a few farmers. Few farmers are signed up with the Leelanau Farmland Preservation Board after three years of sign-up time.

2) The new tax will hurt farmers struggling to make a living in Leelanau. Most farmers have no intention of selling their development rights.

3) The new tax will not boost agriculture in most cases because the farmer who receives payment for his development rights can use the money for anything. Most of them will not plow the money back into marginal agricultural operations.

4) The new tax will not boost tourism as claimed. Tourists do not come here to look at farms. They come to ski, visit the dunes, partake of water activities, visit wineries, gamble, visit friends, view the fall colors, do the Cherry Festival, etc.

5) The new tax will not keep future taxes lower as claimed. Future taxes depend on population growth trends and population growth will not be slowed by saving some farmland scattered in our 200,000-plus acres.

6) The new tax will make Leelanau a more expensive place to live. It is already too expensive for many to live here. Why make the situation worse, hurting our schools and reserving Leelanau for the wealthy?

7) There are alternatives to the proposed new tax to save farmers and farmland. These are property tax breaks for the farmers, an ongoing Leelanau Conservancy program to save farms, and other state and federal tax breaks for agriculture.

8) Priorities. There are other more essential priorities for our tax dollars, like schools, fire and rescue, county operations and 911, libraries, sewers, and township/city government.

Who is advocating this new tax and why?

It is Save Leelanau Farmland Inc. aided by the Michigan Land Use Institute and the Leelanau Conservancy. MLUI is always advocating what they think is "smart" for you and me. The Conservancy sees this tax as a way to expand what they do anyway. These organizations are staffed by people convinced they know what's best for you. Only a resounding defeat on Nov. 7 will make them rethink their position.

An outside special interest foundation has offered $125,000 to the county farm board if we tax ourselves $23,000,000. The pro-millage groups are spending over $100,000 to buy your vote. Leelanau's real heritage is not for sale!

Keep Leelanau affordable. We do not want to see Leelanau become like Monterey County, Calif., where 75 percent of the land is off limits to new residents; 37 percent of Leelanau is already preserved as national parkland, state park and forest, conservancy land, county/township/city park land, and inland lakes/wetlands.

The famous Lancaster, Pa. is only 25 percent preserved with 20 percent in farmland and 5 percent in parks, etc.

Please vote "no" Nov. 7.

Tom Triebes is a 20-year Leelanau County property owner and six-year resident. He is chairman of Leelanau Taxpayers United.