U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) will be directing $35,166,221 in Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funds to Montana’s small and rural counties.
“PILT payments provide critical support to Montana’s rural counties,” Daines said. “I’ve worked hard to support the PILT program which provides critical resources for essential services like emergency response efforts and transportation in Montana’s rural counties. Given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this funding is more important than ever.”
The federal government directs PILT funds to local governments to offset the loss of property taxes from federally owned lands in that county. Montana’s small and rural counties use PILT funds to pay for vital county public services, including school construction, roads, law enforcement, fire departments and emergency services.
For more information on the funding, click HERE.
Background:
On December 12th, 2019, Daines advance his bipartisan bill, the Small County Payment In Lieu of Taxes Parity Act, which would bring parity to the PILT program, and ensure smaller populated counties receive more resources to strengthen local law enforcement, fire departments, schools, roads, search and rescue, and more.
On July 12th, 2019, Daines introduced the bipartisan Small County Payment In Lieu of Taxes Parity Act to modify the current PILT formula to increase the amount of funding counties with fewer than 5,000 people can receive without reducing the funding of other counties.
On June 20th, 2019, Daines announced $34 million in PILT funds to Montana’s rural counties.
On June 27th, 2017, Daines announced that $31.8 million in PILT funds would be directed to Montana’s rural counties.
On May 2nd, 2017, Daines participated in a U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on federal payments to local governments provided through SRS and PILT, and the need to provide greater fiscal certainty for resource-dependent communities with tax-exempt federal lands.
On June 22nd, 2016, Daines announced that the DOI has allocated $30,285,246 million in PILT funds to Montana’s rural counties.
On November 4th, 2015, Daines the DOI has allocated nearly $2.3 million in additional PILT funds to Montana’s rural counties.
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