Cordova Times: Payment will help offset community service costs

Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for the Valdez/Cordova census area for 2018, based on the tax value of 14,940,458 non-taxable federal acres within the census area, total $1,252,886, with that allocation to be split based on populations. 

 

Distribution at the federal level is anticipated in late July. 

 

The annual payment from the U.S. Department of the Interior is part of the $32.3 million being distributed to eligible local governments across Alaska. 

 

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said her office worked hard in the appropriations process to ensure the PILT program nationwide received $530 million nationwide in fiscal 2018, which is an increase of $65 million over last year’s funding level. 

 

Murkowski chairs the Senate Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. 

 

PILT provides annual payments to local governments, including counties, boroughs and parishes across the country that include federal lands. The payments are to help offset costs of maintaining a variety of community services.