Preserving our farmland preserves our tax base
Editor, Ceres Courier,
Recent election results will lead to significant turnover of leadership in Stanislaus County. Most cities in Stanislaus County are cash strapped. We are just at the beginning of a pension crisis that will be a financial drain on our cities for the foreseeable future. There is also the reality that we do not and will not have adequate funding to maintain our roads and can’t tax our way out of it.
There is a direct correlation with the fiscal health of a city and land use decisions that are made. Low-density residential development on newly converted farmland does not generate adequate revenue to mitigate its full impact on city services and infrastructure. By comparison, agricultural land, commercial/industrial property, and residential infill that is dense, transit oriented, and utilizes existing infrastructure typically will generate adequate revenue for the corresponding municipal services and infrastructure requirements.