Resolution 223-2014County Administrator
RESOLUTION NO. 223 - 2014
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO
SUPPORT PERMANENT MANDATORY FULL FUNDING
OF PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES; AND PROVIDING
FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program was created in 1976 to
compensate local governments for reductions to their property tax base due to the presence of
substantial acreage of federally owned land; and
WHEREAS, the PILT program provides payments to local governments to offset losses
in tax revenues due to the presence of federal land in their jurisdictions; and
WHEREAS, to compensate for the approximate 454,861 acres of federally owned land
for which Monroe County cannot collect property taxes, the PILT program provides $1,095,408
to Monroe County; and
WHEREAS, according to estimates from the National Association of Counties, current
PILT funding is only about I1% of the amount counties would receive in property taxes if the
lands and facilities were privately owned; and
WHEREAS, this funding has become a critical component of Monroe County's budget;
and
WHEREAS, this funding ensures that Monroe County is able to provide important
community services including law enforcement, fire protection, search and rescue, health care,
solid waste disposal, environmental compliance, parks and recreation and other important
community services; and
WHEREAS, historically PILT funding levels remained static for many years, and
counties watched the value of their PILT receipts decrease due to inflation; and
WHEREAS, in later years PILT funding levels have been subject to annual discretionary
appropriations that were sometimes less than the amount authorized, creating financial
uncertainty for local governments; and
WHEREAS, in FY 2008 through FY 2012, a provision in P.L. 110 -343 ensured PILT as
a fully funded, mandatory spending program; and
WHEREAS, full mandatory spending for PILT was extended for FY 2013 through P.L.
112 -141; and
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County Administrator
WHEREAS, full mandatory spending for PILT was extended through the farm bill (P.L.
113 -79) for FY 2014; and
WHEREAS, without Congressional action to extend additional mandatory funding,
PILT will revert to a discretionary program subject to the annual appropriations process and the
uncertainty of full funding;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. The County of Monroe hereby respectfully requests the United States Congress,
and specifically Florida's United States Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio,
and U.S. Representative Joe Garcia to support full funding for PILT in FY 2015
and to support a long -term approach to funding essential local services in
America's public lands counties, namely permanent, mandatory full funding of
the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program.
Section 2. The Monroe County Clerk shall forward a copy of this resolution to the United
States Senator Bill Nelson, United States Senator Marco Rubio, and United States
Representative Joe Garcia.
Section 3. County staff is directed to include full, mandatory funding for PILT in the
County's legislative agenda and to advocate for its adoption.
Section 4. Effective Date. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its
adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners, 1Vlw6e Counw,
Florida at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 17 of September, 2014.
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Mayor Sylvia Murphy Vas M.= FV 7"
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Mayor Pro Tem Danny Kolhage Yes cnn
Commissioner George Neugent Absen = "o r
Commissioner Heather Carruthers Yes "
Commissioner David Rice Yes .�'. o
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
MY HEAVILIN, CLERK
By. By:
Deputy Clerk ayor /Chairman
MONROE COU ' . TrORNEY
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