ACTION
Please contact your Delegates on the House Environment and Transportation Committee and urge them to vote YES to Senate Bill 263, and to help bring this bill to a vote.
THE ISSUE
This bill compensates counties for the state-owned land in their area, by creating a Payment in Lieu of Taxes. The Senate passed this bill UNANIMOUSLY, but it is now stuck in its House Committee. Your calls and emails can help!
CONCERNS
This bill creates a fair system of Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to compensate local jurisdictions for the tax base loss from state-owned property.
The Senate passed this bill unanimously – recognizing that there are real costs to jurisdictions to provide public services on lands, even if they don’t collect local property taxes. A PILOT is a common means to recognize this imbalance for tax-exempt property. The State and counties use PILOTs in many other ways.
The Environment and Transportation Committee has heard SB 263, but has not yet taken action. With time waning in the session, please urge Committee leadership to bring the bill to a vote, and take action on this important taxpayer fairness matter.
KEY CONTACTS
2016 House Environment & Transportation Committee
MACo Contact: Michael Sanderson, Executive Director, MACo
