Following more than four hours of public testimony Tuesday, Clallam County commissioners tabled any decision on a proposed farmland preservation tax until next week.
The commissioners will consider the farmland preservation tax ordinance Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 10 a.m. in the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
Commissioners Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, and Mike Doherty, D-Port Angeles, said following Tuesday’s lengthy public hearing that wanted time to review information and arguments expressed by the dozens of speakers.
Doherty said farmland preservation will still be the issue next Tuesday, but the mechanics could change –such as possibly putting the issue before voters.
The county has proposed a property tax increase of up 6.25 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation to raise an estimated $250,000 a year. The tax would cost the owner of a $150,000 home an extra $9.37 per year.
The money would be deposited into a “Conservation Futures Fund” to buy the development rights to commercially viable farmland from willing sellers. The money would either match other state and federal grants or secure revenue bonds.
Tuesday’s public hearing attracted more than 170 people, filling two hearing rooms to capacity.
The rest of this story appears in today’s Clallam County edition of the Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.