Whereas only 5 approximately 4.6 million hectares of the Provinces land base is dedicated to agriculture through the Agricultural Land Reserve ALR, and the Farming Income Thresholds the minimum gross income a farm must generate from qualifying agricultural products to be eligible for Farm Class status are low and outdated, and further, property within the ALR is partially exempt from school tax, hospital, regional district, Transit Authority, BC Assessment and municipal financial authority fees, regardless of Farm Class status; And whereas the Agricultural Land Commission ALC employs only six Compliance and Enforcement Officers for the entire province for the purpose of investigating complaints and enforcing land use regulations to protect agricultural land: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province that properties within the ALR that are not actively farmed should not benefit from exemptions from taxes and fees such as school tax, hospital, regional district, Transit Authority, BC Assessment and municipal financial authority fees; And be it further resolved that the Farming Income Thresholds be reviewed and revised to require higher levels of productive farming to achieve Farm Class status; And be it further resolved that the ALC receive adequate funding from the provincial government to support the resources required to support hiring of additional Compliance and Enforcement Officers to protect agricultural land.
