Is Jefferson County Violating State Law When Removing Land from the Farmland Preservation Program?
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Following the advice of county staff, the Jefferson County (Wisconsin) board voted to approve the rezoning of a parcel of land in the Town of Concord from agricultural use to business use. This rezoning appears to be inconsistent with state statutes (Wis. Stats. 91.48) because it does not follow the county or town comprehensive plans. This decision removed land from the Farmland Preservation program for business development.
A group of citizens have already taken the first steps to appeal this decision: A “notice of claim” was served on the Jefferson County board (on June 23, 2022), asserting that they did not follow state statutes or the Jefferson County Agricultural Preservation and Land Use Plan when taking land out of the Wisconsin Farmland Preservation program. This is a required step before filing a formal appeal in Circuit Court. The county board, in response, denied our claim on August 24, 2022. We are close enough to our fundraising target that we can proceed (more donations still needed!), so we have authorized our lawyer to proceed with filing the claim in Circuit Court (by October 19, 2022).
The Farmland Preservation Program is very popular. It not only provides tax breaks for local landowners but also preserves the uncrowded rural living that Jefferson County is known for. If the county government is allowed to develop land against town comprehensive plans and the desires of local residents, Jefferson County will start looking like a very different place.
Most of us live in Jefferson County by choice. It provides friendly rural living with expansive green fields while still being close to hospitals, shopping, jobs, and the metro areas of Milwaukee and Madison.
If you would like to support keeping Jefferson County rural, please support this appeal. We are simply asking that the county follow the law and its own plan, which is to follow town comprehensive plans when considering allowing development of Farmland Preservation areas.
Questions? Concerns? Comments? Please email us at defendtownplans@gmail.com We live in the Town of Concord, Jefferson County Wisconsin.
Links to Learn More:
Reasons to Support This Appeal
History of the Rezoning That Triggered This Case