No doubt. I'm of the opinion when you loose the ag you loose a certain quality of life that goes with it.
We are dealing with some taxing entities waging war on us because of some land we own preventing a development. They are strong arming any one with lots, old houses, etc or the nice side of town trying to make it miserable to own in hopes of getting new development.
Obviously they are not messing with the low income side of town because they cant help their situation.
Brute, by law, in Texas, the monthly Appraisal Board meetings are open to the public and
they have to allow the public to speak in those meetings. I attended every one last year, spoke at length each time and never let up. Have your ducks in a row. Don't let up and don't let them give you the "It's all part of the grand plan for the future growth and development" bullsheet.
Don't allow anyone connected in any way to the county's Central Appraisal District (including the county's Ag Advisory Booard)to tell you "we have to consider how much tax revenue is at stake".
That is a non starter.
Both the Texas State Attorney General and the Texas Comptroller have ruled that the CAD's primary nob is to simply appraise property, give said properties a fair market valuation and to handle ag/timber/homestead and age tax exemptions
WITHOUT ANY input, reflection or consideration of the county's financial need to provide services.
Your county Chief Appraiser will confirm that.
An acre of raw or pasture land might be appraised market value $7000/acre around here. You can't get ten 1/10 ac lots out of an acre but you can get 8. (streets and utility easements take up room)
$300,000 is the average valuation of a new home in a subdivision here.
8 homes X $300,000=$2.4 million. An increase of $2.1 million valuation almost overnight. Even taking into consideration a homestead property tax exemption, it's still a HUGE windfall for the tax coffers because the development overall also gets taxed at a commercial rate.
Who's the losers?
Ag. That land will never raise another calf or produce another bushel of grain or cotton. EVER!
The home owner. Yes, he has a new home, but also has a big monthly mortgage payment for the next 20 years...and a hefty property tax bill due each Jan..
The only real winner is the tax assessor/collector and the taxing entities.