Denver, CO – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet applauded the Department of Interior’s announcement that $30,946,187 in Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) disbursements have been issued to Colorado counties. The PILT program provides federal payments to local governments that have nontaxable federal land within their boundaries to help offset losses in property taxes. This funding is used to carry out vital services like fire and law enforcement protection and road maintenance. Bennet fought to secure these resources as part of the government funding bill and the National Defense Authorization Act.
“The PILT program provides critical resources that Colorado counties rely on to provide basic services like road maintenance and emergency services,” Bennet said. “Local governments cannot recover property taxes from federal lands, so PILT helps offset this lost revenue to counties. We need to continue working for a long-term solution that will give these local governments the certainty and predictability they need to plan.”
Bennet has been a strong advocate for fully funding the PILT program. He actively pushed essential Senate committees to prioritize PILT funding, and in 2012 he led the fight in support of PILT and Secure Rural Schools funding. In February, he introduced a bill with Senators Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo to restore mandatory funding for the PILT program and renew the Secure Rural Schools program for three more years.
Click here for a list of county by county funding.
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