On April 9, 2015 RCRC Chair Lee Adams (Sierra County) testified before Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee #2 (Subcommittee) in support of the Governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) appropriation, in opposition to the Administration’s trailer bill language that would make future PILT payments permissive, and additionally requested an $8 million General Fund appropriation to fund the arrears owed to 36 counties. The Subcommittee approved the budget item on a 3-0 vote as proposed ($644,000 General Fund), approved the trailer bill language as provisional striking language making payments permissive, and approved a motion by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to appropriate $8 million General Fund for payment of the arrears.
The Subcommittee members include Senator Wolk (Chair), and Senators Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) and Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills). The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #3 heard the item previously and held the item open. It is anticipated that PILT will be before the Assembly Subcommittee again in late April for action. If the action taken in the Assembly Subcommittee is not identical to the action taken in the Senate, the issue of PILT funding will be decided by the Joint Senate-Assembly State Budget Conference Committee.