Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced today the government is sending $28.5 million to local governments in Alaska to compensate them for the tax-exempt federal land within their boundaries. It’s called “Payment-in-lieu of taxes” and this year’s total is $2 million higher than last year. For some cities and boroughs, PILT is an important part of the budget. Last year, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough received $3.2 million in PILT while the Kenai Peninsula Borough got $2.6 million. At the other end of the scale, Yakutat’s share was a little over $100,000.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org.