Whereas the School Act exempts 50 of the assessed value of a parcel of land in the Agricultural Land Reserve ALRfrom school taxation if the land is vacant and unused, or used only for a residential purpose; And whereas to encourage farming in the ALR to ensure local food security, school tax exemptions should only apply to ALR land that is being used for a farm purpose: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the Province of BC to amend the School Act to remove the 50 school tax exemption for vacant and unused land, and residential purpose land in the ALR.
Ministry of Finance Through its 30-point housing plan, the Province continues work to close tax loopholes on the Agricultural Land Reserve ALR. The broader tax regime for the farm industry and productive use of the ALR are important elements of ensuring food security at this time of tariff uncertainty. To ensure BCs food supply and food economy continues to grow in the face of US tariff uncertainty, and to help farmers find new markets, a new Premiers task force on agriculture and food economy was formed in February 2025. The task force will inform the Province of policy options to ensure the growth of the farm economy.