Williamson Act
Tulare County - Tulare County supervisors, local Farm Bureau leaders and others will head to Sacramento Wednesday on a mission to convince state leaders, especially Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that the Williamson Act is essential to California's agricultural future.
Local leaders will join with California State Association of Counties (SCAC), the California Farm Bureau, the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC) lobbyists and farmers of the Save the Williamson Act coalition for meetings with targeted legislators, including leaders and budget chairs and other Williamson Act champions seeking re-instatement of tax subventions.
Tulare County stands to continue to
lose up to $3.4 million in subvention funds which represent about 10 percent
of the annual county property tax revenue.
Tulare County is the second highest agricultural commodity producing county
in the nation, with more than $5 billion in gross revenue annually.
Although lawmakers have included the $35 million for Williamson Act subvention funds for a number of years, those funds have been blue-lined out of state's unbalanced budget.
Coalition leaders say unity and strength in numbers are needed to get Williamson Act subventions included in the governor's upcoming May budget revision. Next week's trip is focused on just that, officials say.
That was the same message emerging from a meeting of farm leaders, Tulare County officials and others to clarify just how committed county officials and others are in the fight to get $35 million returned to counties with Williamson Act contracts.
Earlier this year, the Tulare County Farm Bureau and others expressed concern that county officials were engaging in double talk, saying they were fighting for the subventions while already gearing up contingency plans for ending the Williamson Act in the county.
Tulare County has 1.1 million acres protected under about 6,600 Williamson Act contracts. The county already has halted new contracts and has cancelled contracts for more than 42,000 acres of sub-standard and non-conforming parcels. The Visalia session seemed to ease some tensions resulting from county officials publicly, and, according to some sources, covertly, discussing those contingency plans.
In recent weeks, County officials, including supervisors and County Executive Officer Jean Rousseau, have taken a stand indicating the county is totally committed to the fight for subvention funds. There has been talk that lobbyists and other Williamson Act advocates might be able to set up a meeting with the Governor himself.
At the Visalia session, Ed Needham, president of the Tulare County Farm Bureau, said it is important that everyone “is on the same page” and not be fragmented in what they hope to accomplish.
In a reference to the earlier concerns on the county's position, Supervisor Steve Worthley stressed the county's first priority is to fight for subventions, adding “shooting arrows at one another” accomplishes nothing.
Rousseau said counties, especially Tulare County, must not indicate they are giving up or weighing other potential other revenue remedies until “we have played out all options.”
Farm Bureau member and farmer Brian Blain said if Proposition 13, California's landmark property tax reform, is amended or ended, as some say could happen, and the Williamson Act goes away, “this industry is gone.”
He also said few people, outside of agriculture, realize the risk farmers and others take with millions of dollar investments for a generally small return which is never guaranteed.
Worthley said those not in agriculture generally are not concerned about the perils of farming. “Their ox isn't being gorged. They still see food on the store shelves. Once agriculture loses its infrastructure we don't get it back.”
The session ended with promises from all sides that more frequent stakeholder meetings should be held and that everyone be kept up to date.
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