On Thursday, Senate Budget Subcommittee Number 4 discussed the monies owed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to 36 counties in the form of Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT). The DFW has not made PILT payments to counties in more than a decade.
Senator Lois Wolk (D-Yolo County) attended the hearing and requested that the Subcommittee Members fund the past due monies owed, and resume ongoing annual payments to the counties in the 2014-15 State Budget.
Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber), who is a Member of the Subcommittee, also spoke in support of PILT funding. RCRC and CSAC testified as well. Senators Wolk and Nielsen are the authors of SB 1410, which would appropriate $19 million for payments to counties for outstanding obligations, as well as appropriate $2 million annually, beginning in 2014-15, to continue annual payments.
The Chair, Senator Jim Beall (D-Santa Clara County), asked DFW Director Chuck Bonham to pull together the numbers of the amount owed to counties for a May 2014 hearing on PILT. The Chair also asked the Department of Finance to work with DFW to explore other potential funding sources for ongoing annual payments, such as lease payments. The June 2013 DFW breakdown of monies owed to counties can be accessed here.
For additional information, please contact RCRC Legislative Advocate Kathy Mannion at 916.447.4806 or kmannion@rcrcnet.org.