Pass fair property taxes for small farmers!
The issue of property taxes, while not fun, is vital for many farmers. Small farmers who have been denied agricultural valuation of their land face thousands of extra dollars in extra taxes — a cost that they cannot readily absorb with their narrow profit margins.
Texas statutory law provides for “agricultural valuation” of land used primarily for raising food, lowering property taxes for farmers. But local counties authorities have unfairly excluded some small farmers due to bias against sustainable farming methods, urban farms, and even vegetable production!
HB 1900 by Representative Eddie Rodriguez and SB 1581 by Senator Zaffirini provide for fair, consistent application of agricultural valuation for all types of farmers. The bills:
- Specify that fruit and vegetable production qualify as “agricultural uses.”
There have been multiple cases of county tax assessors asserting that growing vegetables isn’t agriculture. - Direct tax appraisers to consider the type of production used, including organic and sustainable methods such as rotational grazing, in determining the degree of intensity of use necessary to qualify.
- Include nonprofit community gardens as “agricultural uses.”
- Direct the Comptroller, in consultation with stakeholders, to develop guidelines to address under what conditions community gardens, small tracts, and diversified farms qualify for agricultural valuation.
To qualify, the landowner will still have show that the land is devoted principally to agricultural use, and has been for at least five of the last seven years. These bills simply ensure that people who should already qualify for agricultural valuation under the Texas Constitution are not inappropriately excluded by local authorities.
HB 1900 was approved by the House Agriculture Committee on April 14, 2015.
Take Action
1) Call the members of the Calendars Committee, and urge them to schedule HB 1900 for a vote of the full House as soon as possible. The Committee members are listed below. If you live in one of their districts, be sure to mention that you are a constituent — it makes a difference!
Note that Rep. Eddie Rodriguez is on the Calendars Committee, but we are not including him in the chart because he is the author of HB 1900. If you do call his office, tell him how much you appreciate his fighting for our farmers!
2) Call your State Senator, and urge him or her to co-author SB 1581 and to help move it forward as soon as possible. You can find out who represents at www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us or by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 512-463-4630.
| House Calendars Committee | ||||
| First Name | Last Name | Phone | Counties Represented | Zip Codes Represented |
| Todd | Hunter | 512-463-0672 | Nueces (part) | 78343, 78373, 78401, 78404, 78407, 78411, 78412, 78413, 78414, 78415, 78417, 78418, 78419 |
| Eddie | Lucio III | 512-463-0606 | Cameron (part) | 78520, 78521, 78526, 78550, 78552, 78559, 78566, 78575, 78583, 78586 |
| Roberto | Alonzo | 512-463-0408 | Dallas (part) | 75050, 75051, 75052, 75060, 75203, 75208, 75211, 75212, 75216, 75224, 75233 |
| Byron | Cook | 512-463-0730 | Anderson, Freestone, Hill, Navarro | 75102, 75105, 75109, 75110, 75119, 75144, 75153, 75155, 75751, 75763, 75766, 75770, 75785, 75801, 75803, 75831, 75838, 75839, 75840, 75844, 75853, 75855, 75859, 75860, 75861, 76050, 76055, 76093, 76621, 76622, 76626, 76627, 76631, 76634, 76636, 76639, 76641, 76645, 76648, 76660, 76666, 76670, 76673, 76676, 76679, 76681, 76692, 76693 |
| Sarah | Davis | 512-463-0389 | Harris (part) | 77002, 77004, 77005, 77006, 77007, 77008, 77019, 77024, 77025, 77027, 77030, 77046, 77056, 77057, 77081, 77096, 77098, 77401 |
| Charlie | Geren | 512-463-0610 | Tarrant (part) | 76020, 76052, 76071, 76107, 76108, 76114, 76116, 76127, 76131, 76135, 76179 |
| Helen | Giddings | 512-463-0953 | Dallas (part) | 75104, 75115, 75125, 75134, 75141, 75146, 75154, 75159, 75172, 75180, 75216, 75217, 75232, 75241, 75249, 75253 |
| Patricia | Harless | 512-463-0496 | Harris (part) | 77014, 77064, 77066, 77067, 77068, 77069, 77070, 77086, 77375, 77379 |
| Dan | Huberty | 512-463-0520 | Harris (part) | 77044, 77336, 77338, 77339, 77345, 77346, 77357, 77365, 77373, 77386, 77532 |
| Eric | Johnson | 512-463-0586 | Dallas (part) | 75149, 75150, 75201, 75203, 75207, 75210, 75212, 75214, 75215, 75216, 75218, 75223, 75224, 75226, 75227, 75228 |
| Ken | King | 512-463-0736 | Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Castro, Cochran, Donley, Gray, Hale, Hansford, Hemphill, Hockley, Lamb, Lipscomb, Ochiltree, Roberts, Swisher, Yoakum | 79005, 79014, 79019, 79027, 79031, 79034, 79039, 79040, 79041, 79042, 79043, 79045, 79046, 79052, 79056, 79057, 79059, 79062, 79064, 79065, 79063, 79065, 79070, 79072, 79081, 79082, 79085, 79088, 79094, 79097, 79226, 79237, 79240, 79250, 79255, 79257, 79311, 79312, 79313, 79323, 79324, 79326, 79336, 79339, 79344, 79347, 79353, 79355, 79358, 79363, 79371, 79346, 79379, 79382, 79407 |
| Lyle | Larson | 512-463-0646 | Bexar (part) | 78006, 78015, 78023, 78216, 78230, 78231, 78232, 78248, 78249, 78255, 78256, 78257, 78258, 78260, 78261 |
| Four | Price | 512-463-0470 | Carson, Hutchinson, Moore, Potter, Sherman | 79007, 79029, 79036, 79039, 79058, 79068, 79080, 79083, 79084, 79086, 79097, 79101, 79102, 79103, 79104, 79106, 79107, 79108, 79109, 79111, 79118, 79121, 79124, 79178, 73949 |
| Debbie | Riddle | 512-463-0572 | Harris (part) | 77068, 77073, 77090, 77338, 77354, 77365, 77373, 77375, 77379, 77380, 77388, 77389 |
| Eddie | Rodriguez | 512-463-0674 | Travis (part) | 78610, 78612, 78617, 78621, 78640, 78653, 78701, 78702, 78704, 78719, 78721, 78724, 78725, 78741, 78742, 78744, 78745, 78747 |
HB 1900 and SB 1581 are supported by the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Texas Certified Farmers Market Association, Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Sustainable Food Center, Food Policy Council of San Antonio, Slow Food Austin, Farm and Food Coalition (East Texas Community Food Coalition), Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, Weston A. Price Foundation, Homegrown Revival, and the Houston Food Policy Workgroup.