PILT in the bank
COEUR d'ALENE - When President Obama signed the $956 billion farm bill last week, it provided an extension of important funding for rural counties in Idaho.
Known as 'Payment in Lieu of Taxes' or PILT funding, the money compensates counties for large swaths of federally-owned and nontaxable land within their boundaries. The 2014 farm bill extends the payments through fiscal year 2015.
The one-year extension provides $425 million for 2014.
In the past two years, Kootenai County has received $566,000 and $571,000 in PILT funding. Idaho received $26 million in 2013.
"This is great news for Idaho's rural communities, which rely on PILT to meet their basic budget needs," said Congressman Raul Labrador on Tuesday in comments provided by his communications staff. "If this legislation had failed, these communities would have suffered from a prolonged break in PILT payments, which would have caused numerous problems."
As long as the federal government remains in control of Idaho lands, rural counties will need the money, Labrador said.
"However, our long-term goal should be to put the people of Idaho in control," he said. "We need to empower Idaho's rural counties to raise money from timber sales."
Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho said in a letter to constituents Tuesday that he recognizes that fully funding PILT is difficult when budget deficits are threatening the nation's economy.
"That being said, I do not believe PILT is optional," he said.
In a letter to the Kootenai County commissioners, Sen. Mike Crapo said counties need a reliable source of revenue to ensure they will be able to provide essential services such as law enforcement, emergency response and infrastructure maintenance.
"I supported this legislation, as it provided essential provisions for our agriculture and forest products producers, as well as the critical resources to compensate our rural counties in Idaho who face forgone property tax revenue resulting from the presense of federal lands within their jurisdictions," Crapo said.