Udall, Heinrich Announce NM Counties to Receive $42.6 Million in 2018 PILT Payments to Support Schools, Roads, First Responders, Crucial Services in Rural Communities

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that counties across New Mexico will receive more than $42.6 million through the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program for Fiscal Year 2018. The total is a $4.1 million increase from the total payments the state received last year, helped by the advocacy of Udall and Heinrich. A full list of funding by county and the final state total is included below.

PILT provides federal payments to local governments to help offset losses in property taxes because of nontaxable federal land within their jurisdictions, including national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management land. Local governments use PILT funding to provide police, fire protection, emergency response, road maintenance and other crucial services to residents. New Mexico counties received payments for over 22 million acres of nontaxable federal land.

"I'm proud to continue delivering the funding for New Mexico counties to deliver critical services, like schools, roads and public safety, and I am very pleased to see an increase for the state overall," said Udall, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. "New Mexico is proud to host our military bases, national monuments and other facilities that support our economy and generate tourism in our state. But local governments need budget certainty to ensure that all New Mexicans receive consistent basic services. We currently fund PILT year by year, but that isn't good enough. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations committee, I'll continue to work for full, permanent funding to ensure local communities have the economic security they need."

“Rural communities across New Mexico rely on PILT funds to provide for emergency response, maintain roads and bridges, and support local jobs," said Heinrich. "I’m glad we were successful in securing funding for this year’s payments, but we still need permanent funding for PILT to give counties in New Mexico more long-term predictability. I will continue to fight for full, permanent PILT funding so our counties have the budget certainty they need to succeed.”

After years of funding PILT inconsistently, in 2008 Congress fully and automatically funded PILT for five years. In a 2012 transportation bill, full funding was extended for another year, leaving the future beyond 2013 uncertain. Udall and Heinrich have successfully secured PILT funding every year since and continue to fight for a long-term solution. The increased 2018 funding was included in the Interior, EPA and Related Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2018 which was enacted as part of the Omnibus Appropriations Act enacted in March of 2018. 

The PILT program is administered by the Department of the Interior. The department calculates annual payments to local governments based on the number of acres of federal entitlement land within each county and the population of that county. The lands include the National Forest and National Park Systems, lands in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge System, and areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management. 

New Mexico PILT Payments for fiscal year 2018: 

BERNALILLO COUNTY - $238,335

CATRON COUNTY - $639,528

CHAVES COUNTY - $3,225,294

CIBOLA COUNTY - $2,110,699

COLFAX COUNTY - $197,367

DE BACA COUNTY - $110,516

DONA ANA COUNTY - $3,189,584

EDDY COUNTY - $3,598,621

GRANT COUNTY - $2,558,024

GUADALUPE COUNTY - $162,226

HARDING COUNTY - $116,768

HIDALGO COUNTY - $739,903

LEA COUNTY - $1,128,578

LINCOLN COUNTY - $1,889,698

LOS ALAMOS COUNTY - $93,625

LUNA COUNTY - $1,999,158

MCKINLEY COUNTY - $1,094,772

MORA COUNTY - $306,596

OTERO COUNTY - $3,597,259

QUAY COUNTY - $4,840

RIO ARRIBA COUNTY - $3,232,674

ROOSEVELT COUNTY - $28,709

SAN JUAN COUNTY - $2,316,470

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY - $1,040,459

SANDOVAL COUNTY - $2,416,206

SANTA FE COUNTY - $812,453

SIERRA COUNTY - $1,336,642

SOCORRO COUNTY - $1,735,241

TAOS COUNTY - $2,036,719

TORRANCE COUNTY - $425,806

UNION COUNTY - $155,864

VALENCIA COUNTY - $91,858

STATE TOTAL - $42,630,492