Farmland in Shelby County more than pays its way. Maintain Our Rural Environment commissioned a Cost of Community Services (COCS) study to determine some of the benefits to Shelby County from farmland and agriculture.

The COCS study revealed that for every property tax dollar that farmland property owners paid into the county tax coffers, those owners received only $0.41 back in community services; whereas, for every dollar that residential property, located outside Shelbyville and Simpsonville,  owners paid in property taxes, they received $1.21 back in community services. Community services are services such as police and fire protection, schools, local government, roads, health department, EMS. Click here for the Cost of Community Services for Shelby County Study.

The Home Builders Association of Louisville (HBAL) sent a letter to the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce members and local government officials to attempt to discredit the study and MORE. Click here to see the document that the Home Builders sent to the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce members.

MORE submitted an answer to the Home Builders Association of Louisville's letter to the Chamber of Commerce and local governmental officials.The response included an analysis by Professor Lori Garkovich of the University of Kentucky, that put the compliants by the HBAL to rest.  Click here to view the rebuttal.