A Pennsylvania program called Clean and Green (Act 319 of 1974), created to help farmers keep their land by lowering property taxes, now largely benefits nonfarming landowners in Bucks County. More than 5,000 Bucks County property owners pay lower property taxes through enrollment in the state program, an amount that totals about $3 million in tax cuts. Although Clean and Green is a state program that Bucks County is required to offer, the money diverts not from Pennsylvania's coffers, but from the county, towns and school districts, with other property owners making up the difference. A 1995 analysis found that Act 319 tax cuts only drew about 1% from Bucks County’s overall tax base, but other counties in the state have lost nearly 20% of their tax base due to the program. Some officials have argued the program needs reform to better target working farmers, not wealthy landowners, and although studies show narrowing eligibility to protect true farmers has public support, legislative reform in Pennsylvania is difficult.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 9/29/2025