01/10/2026
Thank you WFSB - Channel 3 Eyewitness News.
Public Act 490 is Connecticut’s current-use tax law for Farmland, Forest Land and Open Space Land, one of the most important laws to help preserve our agricultural, forest, and natural resource land base in Connecticut.
The PA 490 updated 2025 assessment values and the process to set them in 2025 was flawed. These figures are inaccurate due to flaws in data collection and sample size—issues that were not timely recognized by the OPM and DoAg. As VP of Connecticut Farm Bureau Association (CFBA) we will continue to work toward a long-term solution, which will likely require a deep dive into the process and legislative changes long before the next five-year cycle.
https://www.wfsb.com/2026/01/09/connecticut-farmers-face-triple-tax-increases-farmland/
The UConn survey and resulting appraisal report shows a staggering and illogical increase in the assessed value of lower-quality land compared to highly productive acreage. Specifically, from 2020 to 2025, the following categories saw unprecedented spikes in the original October 2025 assessment values released by OMP:
Tillable D: 51% Increase
Orchard E: 132% Increase
Pasture F: 461% Increase
Swamp/Woodland: 2,325% Increase
The simple observation indicates that poorer quality farmland is now being assessed for higher taxes than more economically productive farmland. This lack of consistency reflects the limited number and uneven quality of survey responses rather than a broad shift in market conditions.
The UConn report confirms that out of 813 total survey responses, only 71 respondents indicated they rent or lease land upon which the statewide values were generated.
Thankfully, on Jan 7, 2026, revised assessment values were released by DoAg stating in their release "Upon further review and taking additional factors into consideration, the appraisal methodology was revised resulting in updated recommended land use values. The corrected publication can be viewed on OPM’s website under Land Classification:"
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/opm/igpp-data-grants-mgmt/igpp-forms/pa-490-recommended-land-use-values-and-best-practices.pdf?rev=6e433e7f7c6f4d0c89aead14388684d1&hash=F4ED64E3C06F7E7471C2D7D421CE49BA
Connecticut farmers are confronting significant tax increases on their farmland after the state Department of Agriculture’s latest reassessment, with some properties seeing taxes triple.
