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• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

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February 8th, 2010

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February 6th, 2010

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February 5th, 2010

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February 4th, 2010

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February 3rd, 2010

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February 2nd, 2010

• Big rig plows 7 cars

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February 1st, 2010

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San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

Now that the state has cut all but $1,000 in subventions to California counties for the Williamson Act program to preserve agriculture and open space, San Joaquin County leaders are exploring a moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts.

The Board of Supervisors discussed the issue Tuesday after hearing a report from Assistant County Council Mark Myles. No decision was made, but Myles was directed to further determine what is best for the county and its farmers, Myles said.

It will cost San Joaquin County almost $1 million to continue the Williamson Act without subventions from the state that paid part of the county's revenue loss. While signing the state budget this year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger deleted all but $1,000 in state subventions in a line-item veto.

"It is very disappointing that the governor would even take that action," county Supervisor Ken Vogel said Wednesday while finishing up the walnut harvest at his Linden ranch. "Agriculture is an important industry in the state. All the counties are looking at what we can do."

Vogel said he met with representatives from eight San Joaquin Valley counties about a month ago to discuss what they could do. One is to request a meeting with the governor to inform him of the hardship it will cause counties.

The Williamson Act was adopted in 1965 to halt widespread urbanization of agricultural land, Myles said in a staff report.

The assessed value of the 543,000 acres of land under the act in San Joaquin County was reduced from $3.7 billion to $2.3 billion to compensate property owners for not selling the land for development, Myles said.

In the 2008-09 fiscal year, the county lost $2.6 million in revenue because of the lower assessed value on Williamson Act, but the state reimbursed the county $1.7 million, Myles said. Now the county is faced with absorbing the entire $2.6 million.

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors is looking at a moratorium on new applications for Williamson Act contracts. There are nine applications pending, Myles said.

Some counties will absorb the extra cost of Williamson Act contracts, while Merced and Tulare counties adopted moratoriums on new contracts, Myles said. Sonoma County is considering terminating its participation in the Williamson Act altogether.

"I'd like to keep reviewing the act," Vogel said.

Lodi-area farmer Bruce Fry said that a moratorium on new applications is probably a good idea, but the county should weigh all its options.

"The state isn't short on money; they have a spending problem," Fry said. "If any business was run that way in Downtown Lodi or downtown Stockton, they'd be out of business.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.