The City Council gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would grant a large tax break for urban farmers in Baltimore.
The bill, sponsored by City Councilman William "Pete" Welch, would provide a 90 percent property tax break for urban farmers who grow and sell at least $5,000 of fruit and vegetables a year. The credits, which must be approved by the city's Office of Sustainability, are good for five years, but can be renewed for a total of 10 years, according to the bill.
The bill needs one more vote before it can become law. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has said she supports the legislation.
"It's much needed because we have so many health disparities," Welch said. "Sixty-seven percent of my district is in a food desert. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a game-changer in themselves. With an abundance, we hope we can drive the prices of those fresh food and vegetables down, so they can become cheaper than a chicken box."
He said several urban farms in West Baltimore would benefit from the legislation.
Urban farming has grown dramatically in recent years in Baltimore from two farms in 2008 to 13 today.
Denzel Mitchell, one of the first urban farmers in Baltimore, said he believes more could be done to support urban agriculture.
"More incentives would be good for urban farmers," Mitchell said. "There is lots of underutilized land in Baltimore City. I strongly believe producing food on the land is a viable use for the city and for young entrepreneurs."
Such legislation was proposed in 2011 by City Council members Mary Pat Clarke and Warren Branch, but it was opposed at that time by the mayor's office, which argued it would set a bad precedent for an already cash-strapped city. Their bill, which promised a 100 percent property tax break to urban farmers, died in committee.
Kevin Harris, a spokesman for Rawlings-Blake, has said the new bill is needed because several urban farms in Baltimore are smaller than five acres and therefore do not qualify for a state-authorized tax break. He said Welch's bill is different from the version opposed by Rawlings-Blake's finance department previously. That legislation, he said, could have granted credits to property owners who merely preserve land rather than farm it.
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