Cantwell: Counties to Receive Payment Boost
** county-by-county funding data included below **
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate passed legislation today that will boost funding for a program that brings millions of dollars total each year to Washington state counties, and will now be sent to the President to be signed into law. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) supported an increase to the "payments in lieu of taxes" (PILT) program that compensates counties hosting a large number of federal employees and federal lands.
"Local taxpayers should not bear the heavy tax burden caused by nearby federal lands," Cantwell said. "This funding will ease that strain, and help support our schools, fix our roads, and take care of our firefighters."
The payments will help counties that have tax-exempt federal lands within their boundaries by offsetting the costs of providing services to federal employees and users of the public lands. Without the payments, local taxpayers would have to bear the financial burden alone for those services, including education, solid waste disposal, law enforcement, search and rescue, health care, environmental compliance, firefighting, housing, social services, and transportation.
Funding for the PILT program in 2006 will jump $9.2 million over last year's level, to $236 million. This exceeds the funding level requested by the National Association of Counties by $1 million, and represents an increase of $36 million over the President's budget.
The funds were included in the final version of the fiscal year 2006 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which passed the Senate on Friday. The House of Representatives approved the measure on Thursday.
A chart follows below with PILT payment amounts to Washington state's counties during fiscal year 2004. Fiscal year 2005 payment numbers are not yet available. With the funding increase included in the final spending bill, most Washington state counties could expect a significant increase in 2006 over their 2004 and 2005 payments. PILT payments (in dollars) for counties in Washington state.
Washington State County FY 2004
Adams County $15,598
Asotin County $57,246
Benton County $56,630
Chelan County $931,388
Clallam County $180,262
Clark County $136
Columbia County $108,966
Cowlitz County $6,515
Douglas County $69,705
Ferry County $202,586
Franklin County $42,078
Garfield County $74,261
Grant County $88,095
Grays Harbor County $34,407
Island County $17,159
Jefferson County $133,390
King County $66,720
Kittitas County $391,536
Klickitat County $12,705
Lewis County $90,055
Lincoln County $96,974
Mason County $31,277
Okanogan County $994,028
Pacific County $3,395
Pend Oreille County $368,769
Pierce County $148,762
San Juan County $3,350
Skagit County $384,712
Skamania County $160,817
Snohomish County $120,089
Spokane County $2,094
Stevens County $202,782
Thurston County $118
Walla Walla County $31,654
Whatcom County $623,586
Whitman County $28,094
Yakima County $99,939
Total Payments for Washington $5,879,878
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