NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A bipartisan coalition of state legislators led by Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Yolo County) and Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) have introduced legislation which will appropriate monies to California counties for outstanding obligations relating to payment in lieu of taxes, or PILT, payments.
In addition to requesting $19 million in general fund dollars for outstanding obligations, Senate Bill 1410 (Wolk/Nielsen) also would appropriate $2 million in annual funding for PILT.
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), which has lobbied for the payments to be made, applauded Wolk and Nielsen for introducing the bill.
“This has been an ongoing issue for 13 years, during which time counties have struggled to fill the hole left in their budgets when the state stopped making PILT payments,” said Wolk. “Small, rural counties throughout the state have particularly felt the weight of this burden. This measure will appropriate $19 million to the Department of Fish and Wildlife to make past due PILT payments to counties, paying off this debt once and for all.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) owes 36 counties more than $17 million in past due PILT payments, all while local governments are doing everything within their power to reduce expenses and tighten budgets in order to fund critical programs and services for residents.
RCRC has long advocated for the payment of these past due payments and continued annual payments to counties as obligated, most recently urging the governor to include the payments in the 2014-15 state budget.
“Rural counties have unique needs and challenges; these payments are needed for rural counties to more adequately provide services to residents,” said Nielsen.
California PILT was established in 1949 to offset adverse impacts to county property tax revenues that result when the state acquires private property for wildlife management areas.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has neglected to make annual PILT payments in more than a decade.
Of the $17 million in past PILT obligations, RCRC reported that Lake County is owed approximately $199,579 for the 10-year period, and $16,883 for the current fiscal year.
“While the administration has indicated that paying off debts is one of their top priorities, we have yet to see them live up to their obligations to our counties,” said Nate Beason, RCRC chair and Nevada County supervisor. “RCRC extends its thanks to Senators Wolk and Nielsen for authoring legislation to fight for these monies owed to California counties.”
SB 1410 is coauthored by a bipartisan group of 18 other legislators from many of the counties impacted by this issue.