East Central Reporter

Shelby County Board Farm Committee Chairman Carol Cole has brought the issue of cash leasing the county farm to the forefront, placing it on the agenda for the upcoming farm committee meeting. This matter is expected to remain contentious as discussions continue into 2025.

The background of this issue involves compliance with constitutional requirements in agreements regarding leasing farm ground. A video from a Senate session emphasizes that "Counties and units of local government do need to make sure that whatever agreements they enter into regarding leasing farm ground abides by the Constitution as well."

The legislative context includes HB1076, now Public Act 103-0415, which outlines that "upon three-fourths vote, by the full county board, the county board may lease farmland acquired or held by the county for any term not exceeding 5 years." It allows farmland to be leased through various arrangements including cash lease, crop-sharing arrangement, or custom farming arrangement. Notably, there is no provision within this Act stating it must be "for the ‘public purpose of financially supporting the operations of the government.’"