Virginia Gives Golf Courses Tax Break

On March 2, 2006, the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill that places golf courses in an “open space” classification for property tax purposes.

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Delegate Glenn Oder, R-94th District, was the sponsor of this bill that golf courses would be placed in the same category as agriculture, horticulture, forestry and other recreational land for the purpose of land valuation. The House voted in favor of the bill 67 to 32, and the Senate passed the bill unanimously on Feb. 24, 2006.

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Dick Ashe, owner of Kiln Creek Golf Club and Resort in Newport News, Va., contacted the National Golf Course Owners Association about the bill’s introduction.

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“Golf courses, which provide valuable open space, are being purchased for residential development,” Ashe said. “This development puts a serious drain on Virginia’s environmental resources. In many cases we’re being taxed for a use other than recreation. This bill would appropriately identify the golf industry’s contribution to the environment and make fair our land valuation inequities.”

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04/06/06 Governor: Approved by Governor-Chapter 817 (effective 7/1/06)

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HB 916 Real estate tax; assessments for open space property for golf courses.
floor: 02/09/06 House: VOTE: PASSAGE (67-Y 32-N)

Summary as introduced:Real estate tax assessments for open space property; golf courses. Clarifies that golf courses are included in the category of open-space land for purposes of special assessments for real estate tax purposes.

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OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES ARE IN BLUE:

YEAS--Albo, Amundson, Armstrong, Barlow, Bowling, Brink, Bulova, Byron, Callahan, Caputo, Carrico, Cole, Cosgrove, Cox, Dance, Dudley, Ebbin, Eisenberg, Fralin, Frederick, Gear, Gilbert, Hall, Hamilton, Hargrove, Hogan, Howell, A.T., Hugo, Hull, Ingram, Janis, Jones, S.C., Kilgore, Lingamfelter, Marsden, Marshall, D.W., Marshall, R.G., McEachin, McQuigg, Melvin, Miller, Nixon, O'Bannon, Oder, Orrock, Parrish, Plum, Poisson, Purkey, Rapp, Reid, Rust, Saxman, Scott, J.M., Shannon, Shuler, Sickles, Spruill, Suit, Toscano, Tyler, Valentine, Waddell, Ward, Wardrup, Watts, Mr. Speaker--67.

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NAYS--Abbitt, Alexander, Athey, BaCote, Bell, Cline, Crockett-Stark, Englin, Griffith, Hurt, Iaquinto, Joannou, Johnson, Jones, D.C., Landes, Lewis, Lohr, May, McClellan, Moran, Morgan, Nutter, Peace, Phillips, Putney, Scott, E.T., Sherwood, Tata, Ware, O., Ware, R.L., Welch, Wittman--32.