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Each year the Board of
Supervisors is asked to approve its legislative proposals
for the upcoming legislative year. The adopted legislative
plan is used as a lobbying guide by members of the Board of
Supervisors and County staff and serves to convey the
County’s official position on matters under consideration by
the General Assembly to our local General Assembly
delegation. This document also assists the Virginia
Association of Counties (VACo), the Virginia Municipal
League (VML), and other local government-related
associations and groups in determining their statewide
priorities.
This document is fluid and
may be amended during the year as new issues are
identified. The sponsor requests Board consideration of the
following as a potential addition to the Board of
Supervisors’ legislative priorities:
Personal Property Tax –
Fauquier County supports a legislative proposal which would,
at local option, include privately owned trailers that are
designed and used for the transportation of all livestock in
the same classification as horse trailers and privately
owned recreational travel and camping trailers for purposes
of assessing such personal property.
Under State law, Fauquier County
currently taxes privately owned trailers that are designed
and used for the transportation of horses in the same
classification as privately owned camping and recreational
trailers. In Fauquier County, these types of personal
property are taxed at a rate of $1.50 per $100 of assessed
value.
The purpose of this
legislative initiative is to provide local governments the
option to include privately owned trailers that are designed
and used for the transportation of all forms of livestock in
the same classification as currently used for trailers used
for the transportation of horses.
Livestock accounts for 71%
or $32.5 million in Fauquier County agricultural income as
reported in the 1997 U. S. Census of Agriculture. Some 577
farms have over 58,000 head of cattle. The 2001 Virginia
Equine Report indicates that Fauquier County has 13,700
horses. Statewide, livestock and livestock products account
for 66.8% of cash receipts in 2002 as reported by the
Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service.
This legislative proposal
recognizes the extremely important contribution of livestock
to the agricultural economy in Virginia and Fauquier
County. By reducing the personal property tax burden on
farm operators, counties would be able to indicate their
support for this highly productive agricultural sector.
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