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Cattle Call Cuts Johnson's Taxes

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By MIKE SALINERO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 28, 2008

Updated: 06/28/2008 12:18 am

TAMPA - Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson will save nearly $11,000 on his 2008 property taxes, thanks to the seven cows and four calves grazing on his land near Plant City.

Johnson learned Friday afternoon that the property appraiser's office approved his application for agricultural classification for 16.88 acres on Thonotosassa Road.

The classification, called greenbelt, was OK'd because Johnson leases the land to a cattle rancher named Ken Grimmer who grazes 11 head of cattle there.

Getting the greenbelt approval reduced the appraised value of Johnson's property from $697,607 to $137,459. That knocked his property taxes down by $10,856 to $2,820 based on last year's tax rates. That amount could change slightly when new millage rates are set in September.

The land approved for the greenbelt is part of a 19.83-acre tract that Johnson subdivided into six parcels and owns through a limited liability company called Fort Bully LLC. The county property appraiser's office denied the agricultural classification for two parcels in the tract totaling 2.95 acres. One of the parcels wasn't properly fenced to meet greenbelt standards; the other parcel has an 884-square-foot house that can't be counted as an agricultural operation.

The property appraiser sent notices out by mail Friday to property owners who applied for the greenbelt classification, but Johnson called the appraiser's office to get the news early, said Warren Weathers, chief deputy property appraiser.

Johnson could not be reached for comment.

He applied for greenbelt classification Feb. 29. In April and May, the appraiser's office sought and received financial information and other documentation from Grimmer to show the lease is an agricultural operation.

"The way we determine agricultural classification is strictly by Florida statutes, records given to us by the person performing the agricultural operation, the physical inspection and the legal review," Weathers said. "This particular application was treated like everyone else's."

On June 24, the property appraiser's Agricultural Committee gave preliminary approval of Johnson's application. The general counsel of the appraiser's office, Will Shepherd, confirmed the committee's decision based on legal and legislative findings.

Shepherd based his decision on court rulings that a "start-up" cattle operation does not have to show profitability like an established agricultural operation to get the greenbelt classification.

"In subsequent years, we will want to rely more on income and expense information in addition to the physical use of the property," Shepherd wrote in his opinion.

Grimmer raises the cattle for shows, but Shepherd said that doesn't bar the land from being classified as agricultural. In fact, the law allows greenbelt for land used to raise race horses.

Nor does the fact that Johnson subdivided the property in hopes of developing it someday prohibit him from greenbelt approval, Shepherd wrote.

The property appraiser has approved 7,141 parcels totaling 156,996 acres in Hillsborough for greenbelt. This year, the office turned down 573 applications for the lower tax classification.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

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