COUDERSPORT — Potter County Commissioners received a check from the state this week that includes increased Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) from state-held lands.
“We received the check yesterday for $537,000 from the PILT. We used to receive about $320,000. It’s a large increase for the county,” said Commissioner Doug Morley. “We will receive more than $600,000 (in additional funding) spread across the county, municipalities and school districts.”
Morley credited fellow commissioner Paul Heimel, who spearheaded Potter County’s efforts to push for a PILT increase. Commissioners from several counties, plus school district representatives and other stakeholders, formed a committee and lobbied for support in Harrisburg for the increased payments.
“These are the kinds of things commissioners’ boards can address and can get done that will create positive impacts for years to come,” Morley stated. “Paul’s accolades are earned, not given. This will have significant impact into the future.”
Heimel credited efforts by his fellow commissioners from surrounding counties, the planning directors who created the maps presented to state officials, and legislators for working to address the issues.
“We got the support of state lawmakers who can do something about it, from both sides of the aisle. That’s what got this done,” Heimel said. “We took our info and our maps and it was very impactful. This is a win. They did the right thing for the right reasons. They saw this was an injustice, and they did something about it.”
Commissioner Susan Kefover lauded the efforts of a Galeton native who now makes her home in Puerto Rico. Kelly Thompson and her daughter fled the island ahead of Hurricane Maria, and were unable to reach her husband and in-laws for several days. They have since been able to reconnect, now that satellite phones have made it to the island. Thompson and her family live on Vieques Island, where Thompson serves as a magazine editor and publisher, just seven miles off the main island of Puerto Rico, and the situation there has become desperate since the storm hit.
Thompson set up a Go Fund Me page and a Facebook page, both entitled Vieques Love, in an effort to raise funds and gather much-needed supplies. The fund has raised more than $450,000 in just eight days.
Commissioners approved a resolution which authorizes submission of an application for Community Development Block Grant funds, which will be put toward badly-needed upgrades to the Roulette Wastewater System. CDBG funds for 2018 will be approximately $213,625, of which $175,175 will go to the project, while the remaining funds are to cover costs of monitoring and reporting to the state and federal governments.
The county had two eligible and fundable projects, both showing great need, for this application year. However, only enough money will be received to fund one of the projects. The other, which would upgrade Galeton’s sewage system, also has merit, and the information will be kept for consideration for next year’s funds. Competitive grant funding and other avenues are also being pursued in order to make those necessary upgrades, as well, according to Bill Seigel, of SEDA-COG, who assists with administration of CDBG funds.
The next meeting of the Potter County Commissioners will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 12 at the Gunzburger Building in Coudersport.
