Draft Property Tax Neutrality Methodology for Public Comment

On March 30, 2011, the Stewardship Council Board of Directors adopted a set of guidelines which communicate the general principles and approach regarding the achievement of property tax neutrality in the Land Conservation Commitment. During the fall of 2011, Stewardship Council staff participated in several meetings with counties, including a meeting hosted by the Regional Council of Rural Counties in Sacramento, to discuss in more detail the potential methodologies for making payments to the counties in satisfaction of property tax neutrality. During these meetings, the Stewardship Council was asked to prepare a draft “term sheet” or proposal, for review and comment by the counties.

In response to this request, the Stewardship Council has drafted a Property Tax Neutrality Methodology which presents the Stewardship Council’s proposal for the calculation of in-lieu payments to counties when lands are transferred to entities which are exempt from paying property taxes. This methodology will be presented to the Stewardship Council’s Board of Directors later this year.

The Stewardship Council is asking interested parties to review and comment on the proposed methodology by Friday March 9, 2012.

Please feel free to send comments by either of the following methods:

By Mail:

Stewardship Council
1107 Ninth Street, Suite 501
Sacramento, CA 95814
Attn: Allison Henderson

By Email:

comments3@stewardshipcouncil.org.

Questions regarding the content of the methodology or its related Appendix may be directed to

Joel Wagner, Director of Finance
650-401-2159
Email: jwagner@stewardshipcouncil.org

 Tax Neutrality Methodology January 2012 (49 kb)

Land Conservation Program Funding Policy

The Stewardship Council has created a Land Conservation Program Funding Policy to help guide future planning and decision-making regarding funding of the long term management and stewardship of the watershed lands. The Stewardship Council’s Board of Directors adopted the following policy at a public board meeting in Sonora, Calif. on September 17, 2009.

 Funding Policy (81 kb)

Guidelines for Achieving Property Tax Neutrality

The Stewardship Council has created a set of guidelines to help establish a standard methodology for addressing property tax neutrality on lands located across 22 affected counties that are subject to the Land Conservation Commitment; and to communicate the general principles and approach regarding the achievement of property tax neutrality. The Stewardship Council’s Board of Directors adopted the following policy at a public board meeting in Sacramento, California on March 30, 2011.

 Tax Neutrality Guidelines (64 kb)