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11/17/2006Farmland preservation program is voted downVoters didn't back funding; officials elect to rescind itLELAND — A majority of Leelanau County commissioners support scrapping a county-sponsored farmland preservation program after voters soundly rejected a new tax to fund it. The county sought a 0.5-mill levy at the Nov. 7 election for the next 15 years to purchase willing farmers' property development rights. Voters turned down the new tax by a margin of 7,265 to 4,426. Commissioners this week voted 5-2 at their executive committee meeting to rescind the county farmland preservation ordinance that dates to 2002. Mary Tonneberger and David Shiflett cast the opposing votes. A final decision on the issue is scheduled for the board's Nov. 21 meeting. Terminating the preservation ordinance would disband the county's farmland preservation board and end the program it administers. The county has not purchased any development rights from farmers because it lacks local funding. County Administrator David Gill said the move would free about $13,500 per year budgeted for the farmland preservation board. But he said that money wasn't the central concern he heard from commissioners. "I think the issue for them was the amount of the no votes,” he said. "They saw it as a mandate.” Gary Bardenhagen, chairman of the farmland preservation board, said the group was prepared to find other ways to fund the program. Most critics of the millage opposed the new tax rather than the goal of farmland preservation, he added. "We did not anticipate that they were going to throw out the baby with the bathwater,” Bardenhagen said. Tonneberger said commissioners should take more time to consider the issue, which was added to the agenda at Tuesday's meeting. With no ordinance, the county will be unable to access any types of funding for farmland preservation, she said. Gill said some commissioners also worried about the county taking on a perpetual commitment to monitor preserved farmland. See related stories:
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