The Cumberland Times-News penned an editorial supporting a bill to compensate counties for state-owned lands. MACo has supported SB 263, which would create a “payment in lieu of taxes” structure to support local services provided to tax-exempt state property.
From the Times-News editorial:
This is land which, if held by private interests, would generate property taxes for the counties. Because the state owns it, the counties get relatively little in the form of a percentage of revenue the land generates through such things as tourism, camping fees, concession stands and timber harvesting. However, that money has dwindled in recent years.
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In addition, counties have responsibilities for state-owned land within their boundaries, even though they receive no property tax revenue from it, and that includes maintenance of roads.
“If there is a fire in those state forests,” said Edwards, “the local fire department is the one that goes and fights those fires; same with a medical emergency — the ones that take care of that are the local emergency medical people.”