Washington
DC Office
307 Dirksen Senate
Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Wyoming Office
P.O. Box 22201
Casper, WY 82602
307-261-6413
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Contact: Cameron Hardy
202-224-6441 |
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Thomas gathers support for PILT funding
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May 2nd, 2005 - WASHINGTON -- For many years, Sen. Craig Thomas has led an effort to increase Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding in order to support funding to counties in Wyoming and across the nation.
This week Thomas sent a letter to the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee requesting increased funding for the program. Thomas gathered signatures from 59 other senators who support the program.
“PILT funds are critical to the operation of local governments, who provide an array of essential public services,” Thomas said. “These vital services include search and rescue, law enforcement, road maintenance and education,” he said.
“The current funding plan is insufficient for the federal government to keep its commitment to public land counties. This places a fiscal hardship on our counties, who must use their limited tax dollars, combined with PILT receipts, to provide a clean and safe environment for their residents and the millions of Americans who visit national parks, forests, and other public lands,” Thomas said in a letter to colleagues. “Moreover, the need for improved emergency response in this era of heightened security has placed exceptional demands on our local communities,” Thomas said.
The PILT program provides payments to counties to compensate them for lost tax revenue due to the presence of federal land in their counties. PILT is especially important to western states, but almost every state receives some level of funding through the program.
“We need to fully support these essential services,” Thomas said. The President’s budget recommended $200 million in fiscal year 2006, a $27 million decrease from 2005. The letter to the Interior Appropriations Committee requests an increase in the funding for the PILT program to $235 million. Wyoming received $14,627,836 in 2004.
Thomas is a member of the Senate Energy Committee, which has jurisdiction over public lands issues.
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