Montana to Receive More Than $36 Million in PILT Funding, Tester Announces

Funding will help counties provide critical services, infrastructure

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced Montana counties will receive $36.2 million in Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funds in FY2021 to provide critical law enforcement and infrastructure priorities.

“PILT funding is critical for counties across our state that rely on it to provide important services they otherwise would not be able to afford,” Tester said. “I fought to secure this funding to help Montana counties rebuild schools, plow the roads, keep law enforcement officers on the beat, and perform other duties critical to rural Montana. I will keep pushing to make sure those resources continue to be there so folks across the state can count on having the services they need to thrive.”

PILT makes payments to counties with large amounts of untaxable federal land for services like law enforcement, mental health programs, and libraries.

Tester secured more than $35 million in PILT funding for Montana in FY 2020, and has urged on Senate leadership to end start-and-stop payments and find a long-term solution for PILT to continue providing certainty for rural counties that depend on it.