WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today outlined county-by-county estimates for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program (“PILT”) that provides crucial funding to New Mexico counties.

Bingaman helped negotiate a proposal signed into law in October that fully funds PILT for the next five years. PILT pays counties for federal lands within their borders that cannot be made part of their tax base. As a result of the legislation, New Mexico will get an additional $13.6 million for a total of $36 million – the largest amount of any state. The new law also expands the Secure Rural Schools program, which provides funding to schools in forested communities.

 “New Mexico counties fare very well this year with the additional PILT payments. And with our nation’s economy in distress, this increased funding couldn’t have come at a better time,” Bingaman said. “A number of experts have called for payments to counties as a key strategy to help stimulate the economy.”

PILT funds had been awarded earlier this year. Below is the total amount counties will receive this year. In June, counties received initial PILT payments. Supplemental checks will be sent out in the near future; supplemental levels can be found at the following website: http://www.nbc.gov/pilt/pilt/search.cfm#search

FINAL PILT County FY2008

Bernalillo $202,692

Catron $533,566

Chaves $2.7 million

Cibola $1.7 million

Colfax $157,994

De Baca $94,682

Dona Ana $2.7 million

Eddy $3 million

Grant $2.2 million

Guadalupe $137,695

Harding $104,020

Hidalgo $734,610

Lea $957,240

Lincoln $1.689 million

Los Alamos $78,399

Luna $1.689 million

McKinley $932,857

Mora $248,488

Otero $2.988 million

Quay $4,092

Rio Arriba $2.537 million

Roosevelt $24,325

San Juan $1.959 million

San Miguel $836,241

Sandoval $2.156 million

Santa Fe $682,599

Sierra $1.225 million

Socorro $1.494 million

Taos $1.644 million

Torrance $350,599

Union $130,036

Valencia $76,891