Kraft Working On Legislation To Help Farmers Looking At Retiring

Several state lawmakers in Olympia are already looking toward their legislative priorities for 2018.  Vancouver Republican Vicki Kraft said one of her proposal stems from a farmer in Clark County who was no longer actively farming his property.  The County looked to collect on deferred taxes, saying the property was no longer farm land.  Kraft said the legislation she’s working on will ensure farmers who decide to retire at the age of 60 are not punished.

“Once they hit that and they have farmed their land for the previous ten years, then they qualify to keep their land in essentially the current use status, if you will and essentially will not have to pay and taxes or any penalties or fees.”

Kraft said the proposal would also pertain to farmers who stopped farming due to a disability.

“So if a farmer, again, has worked their land for the previous ten years and the experiences a disability then, again, they will not experience those taxes or penalties and their land will not come out of Comprehensive Use and experience those penalties.”

Kraft said she’s still working to finalize her legislation, and hopes to have it prepared for the 2018 legislative session come January.

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