Pinal County Assessor reacts to frustrated farmers
After hearing concerns from farmers for months, the Pinal County assessor used his “assessor’s discretion” to sign a policy pertaining to the irrigation district’s agriculture status — but those spearheading the effort to clarify the standards aren’t on the same page.
Farmers in the San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District are no strangers to the drought that Arizona has faced for more than a decade. Water scarcity has led to a reduction in crops, changes to insurance needs and a debate over whether land should remain in agriculture status, which would lead to a higher tax value.
Assessor Doug Wolf, whose office has the ability to take the agriculture status away if the farmer falls short of the requirements, intervened after meeting multiple times with several officials to discuss his concerns.
On Sept. 30, he signed a discretion policy that outlines requirements to qualify land as agriculture status, citing requirements already outlined in state statutes and requiring that farmers confirm their enrollment in a federal program and obtaining a farmers insurance policy in three of the last five years.
