State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) has announced he and other area State Legislators are partnering with the Knox, Bureau and Henry County Farm Bureaus® to host Farmland Assessment Meetings in each of the three counties.
“As a farmer, I know firsthand the impact property taxes and increasing assessments can have on those who feed the world. This program is designed to educate, empower and provide tools to taxpayers,” said Swanson.
All three meetings will be on Monday, March 2, 2020:
8:30am-10:30am (Knox) Carl Sandburg College, 2400 Tom L. Wilson Blvd., Galesburg
2:00pm-4:00pm (Bureau) Bureau County Metro Center, 837 Park Avenue West, Princeton
5:30pm-7:30pm (Henry) Black Hawk East Auditorium, 26230 Black Hawk Rd., Galva
All farmland owners or farm managers are invited to attend, residency in the three host counties is not required. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss increasing property assessments and adjustments due to flooding. Due, in part, to a change in the Farmland Assessment Act, all farmland assessments will continue to go up. The rate of the increase will depend on soil type. This increase in assessed values will be reflected on the property tax bills payable in 2020 and for several years to come.
Additional information will be provided on the opportunity to receive a flood debasement on those acres that saw crop loss and prevented planting due to last year’s flood. The presentations will be made by Brenda Matherly, Director of Local Government Affairs with the Illinois Farm Bureau, and will give attendees a better understanding on how farmland assessments are calculated and the long-term impact of those values.
RSVP’s are requested to the County Farm Bureaus so that enough materials and seating may be provided at each event.
74th District residents can learn more about state legislative issues at Representative Swanson’s website at repswanson.com.
Attached is audio with the representative.