Washington, D.C.—Today, Representative Julia Brownley announced Ventura County will receive more than $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Interior through their 2013 Payments in Lieu of Taxes program.

“Rural communities are an important component of Ventura County’s vast diversity,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley.  “These investments will help Ventura County carry out vital services, such as firefighting and police protection, construction of public schools and roads, and search and rescue operations.”

“With local budgets stretched, these PILT funds are crucial in enabling the County to fund critical public safety, health and social services, at a time when our community needs them the most,” said Michael Powers, Ventura County Executive Officer.

Ventura County received a total of $1,374,599 in PILT funding for FY 2013.

The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program eligibility is reserved for local governments (mostly rural counties) that contain non-taxable federal lands and provide vital services, such as public safety, housing, social services and transportation. These jurisdictions provide significant support for national parks, wildlife refuges and recreation areas throughout the year. PILT seeks to compensate them for their support and foregoing tax revenue from these federal lands.

A full list of funding by state and county is available here:  LINK.

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