Central Montana Times

U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Catherine Cortez Masto have introduced a new bipartisan bill aimed at supporting less populated and rural counties. The proposed legislation, named the “Small County PILT Parity Act,” seeks to adjust the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments structure. This adjustment would enable counties with populations under 5,000 to receive increased payments to match those of larger counties, where funding per capita tends to rise as the population lowers.

“PILT payments are essential for many of Montana’s rural counties, and they provide funding for essential services like emergency response and transportation. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to bring parity to the PILT program and ensure our rural and low-population counties are treated fairly,” said Daines.

Senator Cortez Masto also emphasized the importance of equitable distribution of PILT funds: “This bipartisan bill ensures that our most rural counties are treated fairly when it comes to receiving PILT dollars. These counties rely on federal funding for critical projects and services, and I will always fight to ensure that communities in all 17 of Nevada’s counties have the resources they need to thrive.”

The Montana Association of Counties has expressed support for the bill. Its Executive Director, Eric Bryson, stated, “We appreciate Senator Daines’ leadership on this issue, and the work of Commissioner Devlin in working with our federal delegation to address parity in PILT Payments. The Small PILT Parity Act levels the playing field for small population counties without harming other PILT recipients.”

Matthew Chase of the National Association of Counties also commented, highlighting the importance of PILT funding for a range of essential services: “The Small County PILT Parity Act ensures that rural counties with significant tracts of federal land but limited populations have the resources necessary to deliver services to residents and visitors alike.”

Background information provides that PILT funds are federal payments made to county governments to compensate for the absence of property taxes on federally owned lands. The new legislation would introduce four additional tiers in the PILT Formula, specifically for counties with populations ranging from 1,000 to 4,000, allowing for increased payments for those eligible. In Montana, 19 counties have populations under the 5,000 benchmarks.