The Cost of Community Service Study (COCS) done in 2005 for Bedford County by the American Farmland Trust found that:
- 89 percent of revenue in fiscal year 2004 was generated by residential land uses; 9 percent was generated by commercial/industrial land uses; and 2 percent by agricultural land use;·
- 95 percent of county expenditures went to provide services for residential land use compared with 4 percent for commercial/ industrial uses and less than 1 percent for agricultural land use.
In other words, for each $1 of revenue received from residential properties in Bedford County in fiscal year 2004, the county spent $1.07 providing services to those lands. For each $1 from commercial/industrial land uses the county spent 40 cents. For each $1 received from agricultural land use, the county spent 25 cents providing services. Residential land created a deficit of $7.7 million, which was offset by the surplus of the other two land use categories: $6.7 million from commercial/industrial and $1.4 million from agricultural land use.
If you'd like to read and/or print out the full Bedford County COCS study click this link
If you'd like to view a Powerpoint presentation of the study click this link.
More Studies
Eighty-three additional Costs of Community Service Studies (COCS) done by the American Farmland Trust and others show that open space generates more in local tax revenues than it costs in services. These studies show that public services for residential development typically cost 125-150% of the taxes generated by new residential development.
The average of these studies shows that for every dollar of revenue raised residential use cost $1.15 whereas industrial/commercial uses only cost 27 cents of every dollar raised and farm and forest only 36 cents.
Costs of Community Services Studies done in Virginia show that residential development costs taxpayers money (see above chart).
In 2005, as part of the Comprehensive Planning process, Bedford County has hired the American Farmland Trust to conduct a COCS Study for Bedford County. It will identify the fiscal contributions of our remaining open space and the actual cost of our rapid residential growth – information that is central to planning for the future. For more information about COCS studies, Click on Grassroots Articles #16.
Other Economic Benefits of Open Space
Our farmland and woodlands are Bedford’s capital asset. In our new Comprehensive Plan we have an opportunity to invest in this asset and have it reap on-going economic benefits for the indefinite future. The preservation of farm and resource land ensures flexibility in the future – an orchard can be converted to a vineyard; a vineyard can revert to forest, and so on through the generations. Once a farm grows houses, we close down all our options – forever.
Open Space supports:
Agricultural Industry
Equine Industry
Tourism
Future Agricultural Opportunities
Environmental Quality
Increased Property values
Hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreational activities
For information on how we can preserve open space in Bedford County, Click on Grassroots Articles # 17 – 19 and/or go to: www.farmland.org, the on-line library of the American Farmland Trust. Go to Literature and filter by Topic, Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements and by Category: Facts Sheets and Technical Memos or call 1-800-370-4879 for free information and research.
