By Melissa St. Aude | Casa Grande Dispatch
At Lucky Nickel Ranch in Eloy, while another crop of snap peas, kale, cabbage and other veggies is soon to be planted, owner Michael McKenzie is battling the Pinal County Assessor’s Office to prove his small-scale organic operation is an active farm.
Agricultural land classification for the 32-acre farm was revoked last year by the Assessor’s Office. McKenzie is appealing the decision and fears his property taxes will triple if he is not successful.
“I’ve had my agricultural status for 15 years and suddenly, they’re revoking it, saying it’s not an active farm,” McKenzie said.
Note: Rose Law Group attorney, Evan Bolick, who handles tax appeals, commented, “When someone is actually farming, the assessed value of the land should accurately reflect that use. Agricultural classification leads to a lower tax rate and the assessor’s office should not be permitted to arbitrarily tax a person’s property at a higher rate by inaccurately classifying property.”
