U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Shelley Moore Capito last week announced $3,617,997 from the U.S. Department of Interior’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program to 36 West Virginia counties including Braxton. These payments are made annually to counties with non-taxable Federal land within their borders to offset the lost property tax revenue. Braxton County will receive $77,108.
“For more than 40 years, PILT payments have helped ensure local governments across the Mountain State have the resources they need to help offset budget shortfalls caused by their inability to collect taxes on Federal lands. These critical payments provide our communities with crucial support for essential services, such as law enforcement, education, firefighting, road maintenance and public health. I am pleased to announce this significant funding, and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of this investment. As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will always fight for vital programs like PILT that invest in West Virginia,” said Chairman Manchin.
“Funding through the PILT program helps offset shortfalls that our municipalities face in serving their residents and invests into our communities. It is welcome news to see this support heading to West Virginia, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have in our counties across the state,” Senator Capito said.