What’s an acre worth?

Times Contributor  

 

Wheatland County council was presented with the possibility that they might need to increase their contract prices per acre for access to farmland, when county crews are needed to utilize the land for county work projects.

“It is becoming increasingly more difficult to get owner buy-in,” said Mike Ziehr, manager of Transportation and Utilities.

Currently, Wheatland County pays two times the agricultural value per acre, which is about $700, for access to farm property needed to do work, such as road rebuilding.

Councillor Don Vander Velde said it might be because oil companies are not paying landowners on the agricultural value, but rather the market value of the land.

Councillor Alice Booth reminded council that oil companies also pay inconvenience fees to the farmer. She said farmers talk to one another so they know the going rates.

Reeve Glenn Koester recommended that it might be time to make a policy change to narrow the gap between the two rates. Staff  were asked to bring the matter back to council Sept. 2.