Navajo County Supervisors continue to plead with Congress to fully restore the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.
Board members approved sending another round of letters to Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, and Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain asking them to find a way to ensure funding before the end of the year.
“We received our last fully funded PILT disbursement in June 2014, and no payments have been authorized for fiscal year 2015. Without prompt Congressional action, Navajo County will face budget shortfalls that will impact our ability to provide essential services to residents and visitors,” the letter states.
PILT funding was established to replace lost revenue due to federally owned lands within counties, such as national forests. The county cannot collect property taxes for those lands, but must still provide services, such as law enforcement.
The county did not include PILT funding in the current budget due to its uncertain status, but did include a primary property tax increase in order to make up for the lost funding. Board members noted that if the county does receive the PILT funding it will not be able to return the tax increase to property owners, but it may affect the county’s ability to restore property taxes to previous levels.
“A failure to reauthorize these funds will imperil our county’s ability to fulfill our statutorily-mandated functions and place an unfair burden on the backs of local property owners,” the letter notes. “Navajo County is greatly concerned with the current uncertain status of the PILT program, which, as you know, is designed to offset the lost revenue and additional cost for services provided on, or associated with, tax-exempt federal public lands, including law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency services, road building and maintenance, and other community services. After the last funding of PILT last year, much uncertainty still exists moving forward in fiscal year 2015. PILT is a critical piece of our county budget.”
In other action Nov. 25, the board:
* Approved an expenditure of up to $2,500 to support the Hopi Tribe’s Yuwehloo Pahki Village Recreational Park.
* Revoked the authority of the Clay Springs Domestic Water District due to lack of a quorum on the district’s governing board, and issued a call for election for May 19 to fill three vacant seats.
* Approved the extension of an agreement with the Arizona Department of Health Services for $425,795 for nutrition network program services for students.
* Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Hopi Tribe that will allow the tribe to administer its own medication in the event of a public health emergency.
The next board meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the county complex in Holbrook.
