To the Editor:
My wife and I own a 58-acre farm in Washington Township. When we received our property tax statement last
week, we were surprised to see that the amount we owe went from $1,769 per year to $3,549; an increase
of over 100%. Our taxes increased because the Current Agriculture Use Value of our farm increased from
$32,420 to $73,750 (127%). This is at a time when our income from the farm has actually decreased
slightly. Granted, the value of farm land has increased significantly over the past 10 years, but you
get no "income" from the increased value of property. Income, to pay taxes, comes from crops
we raise. Keeping in mind, the price of corn has gone from over $7.60 per bushel to about $3.60 and the
price of beans has gone from over $15 per bushel to about $9.50.  
The only way we can cash in on the increased value of our farm is by selling the farm, and then the
government gets you with "capital gains" taxes. Most farms have been in the family for many
generations and farmers do not want to sell them. They want to pass them on to the next generation.
Now about the distribution of my taxes (1st number-2013 distribution; 2nd number 2014 distribution; 3rd
number-percent increase):  General Fund ($68/$156-126%); Township ($168/$357-112%); School
($831/$1703-105%); Wood Lane/DD ($205/$437-113%); ADMH ($73/$150-104%); CAPS ($19/$39-104%); Seniors
($21/$42-104%); Historical ($.73/$3.32-127%); Health ($15/$30-104%); Vocational ($92/$200-116%); Parks
($29/$60-104%).
The money received by each of these organizations from the tax distribution more than doubled. As a
budget administrator for over 20 years, I felt lucky if I received a one percent increase in my budget.
Each of these organizations is receiving more than double the amount of money from my taxes (and all
other farmers in Wood County) than they received the previous year.
We all know the only thing in life that is certain is death and taxes. And we also know that every year,
organizations want more money. I would like to ask our state representatives to consider the following.
If in any one year, the amount of property taxes paid by a property owner increases more than 25%,
because of no change in the characteristics of the property, that the tax increase be capped at 25% and
that the additional amount above the 25% be allocated to feature years.
Dick Conrad
Bowling Green