Schuyler County Receives $22K in Federal PILT Funds

Finger Lakes Daily News:

Schuyler County has received $22,141.00 from the U.S. Department of the Interior under the 2022 Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, county officials announced Tuesday.

Notice of the Award was received by Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman on Monday (June 27). According to Getman, PILT payments are made for tax-exempt federal lands administered by the Department’s agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

That includes the Finger Lakes National Forest, located in both Schuyler and Seneca Counties, Getman said.

“PILT seeks to compensate local governments for the inability to collect property taxes on federally owned land,” Getman explained. “It’s a recognition that local governments provide significant support for national parks, wildlife refuges, and recreation areas.”

According to County Administrator Fonda Chronis, the funds can be used for essential local government services, such as emergency services, transportation infrastructure, law enforcement and health care.

“This program is an important example of how the federal government can act as a good neighbor to the county and help local governments carry out vital services,” Chronis said.

“The Schuyler County Legislature remains committed to utilizing revenue from every source to offset burdens on local taxpayers,” he added.

Schuyler County Treasurer Holley Sokolowski noted that the amount paid was approximately ten percent more than the previous year.

“It was also the highest amount received this year by any county upstate, with only Dutchess and New York Counties receiving higher awards,” Sokolowski said.