Municipalities across the four-county region will soon receive a
large check from the state, as part of legislation which tripled
the payment in lieu of taxes on state-owned land.
The legislation – which hikes the PILT payments from $1.20 an
acre to $3.60 an acre – will allow the region to garner about $1.66
million in additional funds, which will be distributed between the
counties, school districts and municipalities.
The funding should be sent out to local governments within the
next few weeks. Officials said another payment will be made in
September for the 2007-08 school year.
“This increase represents meaningful property tax reform for
area residents,” Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati,
R-Brockway, said. “Unfortunately, the Commonwealth was not paying
its fair share on land that it owns and property owners were having
to pick up the burden. I have stated time and time again, that the
state must be held accountable for these taxes and not expect the
taxpayers of this area to foot the bill.”
The legislation was authorized by state Rep. Martin Causer,
R-Turtlepoint, and Scarnati. Under the current law, $1.20 per acre
each is set aside for the county, local municipality and school
district.
According to figures provided by Causer and state Rep. Dan
Surra, D-Kersey, Potter County will gain the most from the PILT
increase – to the tune of about $713,969.40. Next on the list is
Elk County at $529,996.56; Cameron County at $344,396.01; and
McKean County at $67,813.42.
The figures were arrived at through calculations done by The Era
by multiplying the total acreage of state-owned game, forest and
park lands by $3.60 an acre. The figures provided to The Era by
Causer and Surra were obtained through the Pennsylvania Game and
Fish and Boat commissions and the state Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources.
“Sen. Scarnati and I have been hard at this for some time,”
Causer said. “I’m glad we are seeing the light at the end of the
tunnel with this and will be able to deliver more funding to the
counties, municipalities and school districts in our area.”
Causer said Gov. Ed Rendell’s budget secretary will be verifying
to the Legislature next month how much money is available in the
gaming fund – where the PILT funding is derived from. When that
occurs, the payments shouldn’t be far behind to the
municipalities.
The PILT legislation met opposition from the Game Commission,
which claimed the increase could jeopardize the agency’s fiscal
solvency. In response, local lawmakers said the commission wouldn’t
be looking at a deficit if it managed its assets properly.
Scarnati said the law will generate more than $8 million in
additional payments statewide. Of the state land that is subject to
the PILT, 2,017,301 acres are forests and state parks, 1,397,429
are game lands and 6,100 are owned by the Fish and Boat Commission,
according to Scarnati.
McKean County
Looking at the figures closer, the Bradford Area School District
should garner an additional $2,347.68 in PILT revenue, including
$2,291.18 for Lafayette Township; $21.72 for Foster Township;
$17.30 for Bradford Township; $15.66 for the City of Bradford; and
$1.82 for Corydon Township.
Elsewhere in McKean County, the Otto-Eldred School District will
receive an additional $4,205.07, including $4,157.31 for Eldred
Township and $47.76 for Eldred Borough. The Kane Area School
District will gain $3.88, including $3.62 for Kane Borough and $.26
for Mount Jewett Borough.
The Port Allegany School District will gain an additional
$22,111.41, which includes Liberty Township. Also, the Smethport
Area School District is slated to receive an additional $40,145.32,
including $31,562.40 for Norwich Township; $6,103.20 for Sergeant
Township; $3.19 for Smethport Borough; $196.66 for Keating
Township; and $2,279.87 for Hamlin Township.
Cameron County
The Cameron County School District will gain an additional
$344,396.01, according to the figures provided by Causer.
Of that amount, Gibson Township will receive an added
$103,074.96; Grove Township, $93,172; Lumber Township, $53,563.51;
Portage Township, $9,210.14; and Shippen Township, $85,375.70.
