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Crapo, Risch urge full PILT funding |
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September 26, 2016 |
Citing the critical role that the Payment in
Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program plays on many rural
county budgets, Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and
Jim Risch on Thursday sent a letter to Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate
Minority Leader Harry Reid urging them to work
together to ensure that the PILT program is
fully funded in any year-end legislation likely
to be signed into law.
The letter to McConnell and Reid was led by
Crapo and Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colorado).
The PILT program compensates rural counties for
federal lands that are managed by the U.S.
Department of Interior that cannot be taxed.
Such lands include parks, forests, Bureau of
Land Management lands and wildlife refuges.
PILT provides federal payments to nearly 1,900
local governments across 49 states to help
offset losses in property taxes because of
nontaxable federal land within state boundaries.
Such payments are essential for counties across
the country and are used to fund services such
as police, fire protection, and emergency
response. Funding for each county is determined
by a formula and is based on the number of acres
of federal land within each county or
jurisdiction and the population of that county
or jurisdiction.
“PILT funding is an important resource for many
counties in Idaho and other rural and western
communities,” said Crapo. “The strong showing of
bipartisan senators on this letter is evidence
that PILT payments are critical to communities
nationwide. I will work with my colleagues to
secure funding for this important program in a
fiscally-responsible manner.”
Noting that the federal government is the
majority landowner in many Idaho counties,
Senator Risch said: “PILT provides payments to
counties to help offset losses in property taxes
due to nontaxable federal land within their
boundaries. Reauthorizing PILT is necessary to
avoid severe cuts in our county budgets.” |
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