10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 12, 1973 3i Funk Urges (Continued From Page 1) constitution. The change has also been endorsed by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and virtually every farm group in the county and state. Funk pointed out to the newsmen at the conference that reassessments in nearby counties bad resulted in vastly higher taxes for farmers. Some of the farmers’ tax bills increased by seven-fold, a crippling bite which could force many farmers out of business. Under present Pennsylvania law, Funk said, all land must be taxed on the basis of its market value. This works against far mers because market values for their farmlands keep going up faster than the general rate of inflation. Taxes which are based on market value will keep taking a disproportionate share of the Scholarships (Continued trotn page l) Umversity of Peimsylvama Donalee Melov daughter ot Roxanne Stem, daughter of Mr. Jr rwi~f nmlw and Mrs. Richard B. Stein, Box MmeSe’ 681 Mountville - She is graduating ; Jfrom Hempfield High School and She is graduating from Penn J g Manor, and plans to attend the University of Delaware. *<*ft ° f and Mrs. Robert F. Weaver, 2 Karen Sue Overly, daughter of Conestoga Road Lancaster He Mr. and Mrs. Alfred R. Overly, • .. d ; ~ Ouarrwille RDI She is 18 graduating from McCaskey CTaduatLg from Blanco and Scho ° 1 ’ and P lans t 0 attend SSfTo TtodiSf Mount Alto'campus of Pern THE TIME TO STOP THIS IS ELECTION BAY, TUESDAY ; MAY IS. Pennsylvanians concerned about green space (farm land, farm reserve, and forest land) are rallying behind a YES vote for the Constitutional amendment on the May 15 ballot. This amendment will allow open spaces to be assessed for taxes according to land use. This will halt sky-rocketing property taxes and stop uncontrolled commercial development. o Help Save cPeiyisylvaiiia... Vote ‘YES on Joint Resolution Numberl on May 15. farmer’s income with every reassessment. “We haven’t had a county-wide reassessment here for 13 years,” Funk noted, “and we’re going to have one within two years. If we don’t get special tax treatment for farms, we’re not going to have many farms left after that reassessment.” Some farms in the county are pVesently paying taxes at a rate below what it would be if they were taxed on the basis of their productive value. If the con- stitutional amendment is adopted, chances are these fanners would have higher tax bills,and in some cases those bills could double. “But this would be a lot better than paying taxes six or seven times higher than they had been,” Funk said. “Property taxes in 1945 represented 5 percent of a far- "QUOTES" "Facts, or what a man be lieves to be facts, are delight ful—get your facts first, and than you distort them as much as you please." Mark Twain Amos Funk, chairman of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce agriculture committee, talked to reporters at a news conference on Tuesday. mer’s net income. Today they represent 17.5 percent of net income, and they are the far mer’s fastest growing cost of business,” Funk told the group. In response to a question as to whether or not farmers would be paying less taxes while everybody else paid more, Funk replied that in no case would'a farmer’s tax bill go down if the amendment were passed. The immediate effect of any legislation, would in fact, probably be to increase the farm sector’s contribution to the county tax treasuries. “We’re not asking for special privileges,” Funk asserted. “Instead, we’re trying to keep taxes on farmland from rising faster than the rate of inflation.” Funk said a levelling off of fhrm taxes would tend to preserve farmland by making it less attractive for farmers to sell to developers, highway businesses and industry. He explained that farmers not pressed by unusually high taxes would be more inclined to con tinuing farming their land. Funk said Pennsylvania has lost .about one-third of its far mland since 1960, partly because property taxes have jumped 295 per cent. ~~ jamTswa "T "Volume-Belt Cattle Feeder” I jMBI ♦ Only l-i/2 hp. Up to 250 Feet I | I * Big Capacity Beit Carries Feed fc " * r * (S * n '® arn or I 445 South Cedar Street Lititz, Penn. 17543 I Phone: 717-626-8144 Enjoy Vegetables Longer Home gardeners can enjoy certain garden vegetables longer by making two or more plantings. Plant only enough seed like lettuce, radish, and spinach to provide the amount you can use during a short period, say Ex tension vegetable specialists at The Pennsylvania State University. Home gardeners do this by planting another lot a few weeks after the first planting. TRY A CLASSIFIED AD' ★ (ARM ★ ANIMAL ★ BQUIPMEJg^^PT FREE! . Your sale can be listed in our Sales Register without charge Just mail details to Lancaster P 0. Box 266, Lititz, Pa 17543
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