Pierce County is among 38 local governments in Washington that are receiving portions of a $17.2 mllion payment from the U.S. as compensation for non-taxed federal land. The money that's being allocated under the 2013 Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program is a $1.9 million increase over the state's 2012 PILT payments, according to U.S. Department of Interior officials. Nationwide, about 1,900 local governments are receiving a total of $399.8 million under the program trhis year. Typical uses of the money locally include applying it toward police and fire emergency services. Pierce County is getting $540,830 as compensation for 338,620 federal government-owned acres that aren't taxed. Among neighboring counties, King is receiving $120,422 (354,534 acres) and Lewis is getting $161,286 (474,840 acres). The differences in funding levels is based on population and acreage of federal entitlement land. "Rural communities are a pillar of a strong America, contributing significantly to the nation's security, prosperity and economic strength,GÇ¥ said Secretary of Interior Salley Jewell said. "President Obama has made job-creation and opportunity in rural areas a top priority for his administration and has fought for continuing the PILT program to compensate and support local governments.GÇ¥
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment