Fire districts need to give farmland a fair discount or else agriculture faces another threat
Editor:
I write today to address an impending threat to Orleans County agriculture. Sadly, New York State loses more and more family farms each year and we have experienced recently the loss of beloved farming operations in Orleans County.
The Empire State chip by chip, acre by acre is losing its ability to feed itself and remain a region of agricultural prosperity.
Farmers are the biggest gamblers. Investing in machinery, seed, fertilizer, barns, packing housing and labor while betting it all against the wrath of Mother Nature in the hope of selling their crops to buyers who set the price with little sympathy for the cost to produce your food.
We complain about taxes in New York driving people out of business and out of state. Recently, on social media farmers were accused of not paying their fair share. Not true.
The Department of Ag and Markets sets annually the taxable value of farm land used in the production of food. Yes, the taxable value per acre is lower than full market value. This is in part due to an orchard, a corn, cabbage, wheat or bean field or cow pasture requiring little to no government services. It is to encourage the affordability, sustainability, and most importantly the ability to feed our people by keeping fertile land in agriculture. When we become dependent on foreign countries to feed ourselves, we become hostage to inflation and oppression, like Somalia, Bangladesh or Sudan.
I wish to address a sensitive taxation issue and would like to volunteer in advance any help I can to remedy it.
The Murray Joint Fire District has in the last two years raised its tax levy by 83%. Its rate of $3.53/1000 is significantly higher than our neighboring communities. The Fire District levy is 18% higher than the Town’s Levy. At first glance it’s easy to blame, easy to fault. But the harsh reality is the equipment is expensive to purchase, operate and maintain. And we need it. Keep in mind we are not paying for labor and benefits as we are fortunate to still have dedicated volunteers.
Because the fire district tax levy has grown so significantly, it places the agricultural viability of farmland at risk. Historically, fire districts across the county assessed farmland at full market value. Ag land was cheap. Equipment was affordable, government was small, volunteerism a civic duty. Not so today. Times have changed and so too must our thinking.
The sharp increase in fire district land tax and its method of calculation is unreasonably costly to farmers. How can an open farm field be assessed at 5 times higher the value for fire tax than for town or county taxes? Think about that? Schools tax you on the full market value of your homes then the State gives you a STAR exemption to offset that financial burden and keep you in your home. The same rationale should be applied to ag land by assessing it at the NYS Ag rate instead of full market value and help keep land in agriculture.
One field in Murray is assessed at $55,000 for Town and County but $283,000 for Fire. The disparity in valuation for fire increases the tax from $194.00 to over $1,000 per year. Keep in mind we all now pay a separate tax for ambulance service.
Some of you will be saying; here we go again, the farmer is looking to avoid paying taxes. On the contrary, farmers own homes, barns, packing houses, shops, markets, labor housing, corn dryers and more and we pay our fair share on those structures and will continue to do so in support of our fire district. We are not talking about parcels containing structures, we are talking about open ground producing your food and the long-term viability of agriculture soils.
The authority to recognize NYS Ag values for Fire district taxation rests with local Fire Commissioners. It requires a simple resolution by the Commissioners to do so as provide in NYS Ag & Markets Law 305 (6) “the governing body of a fire, fire protection, or ambulance district for which special ad valorem levies or special assessments are made may adopt a resolution allowing the use of agricultural assessments in the levy of such charges.”
While this issue is currently a Murray issue, think not.
The Town of Murray adopted the first Ag and Farmland Protection Plan in the County. Educational awareness of the importance of agriculture by the community and civic leaders cannot be understated. Do not take for granted the sustainability of agriculture and the impending financial and volunteerism crisis facing fire districts. For other municipalities in Orleans County the same issue will soon be on your doorstep when your districts need to update their equipment to save your homes, businesses, and lives.
To be clear. I am not placing any blame here, but merely highlighting the unreasonable tax allocation to farmland and the threat it imposes to sustainable agriculture. I respectively request fire commissioners recognize NYS Ag values on open land. It is about the preservation of farmland. The viability of agriculture and ability to feed our population is of national importance.
Lastly, I am raising this issue now to afford the district commissioners in Murray and across the County the time and opportunity to address this important matter ahead of their 2026 budget season.
Thank you to our firemen and thank you to our farmers. Together we can.
Joseph Sidonio
Murray
