The Department of Interior is sending almost $40 million to Arizona counties. According to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program is to help local governments “offset their inability to tax federal property.”
In a press release, Bernhardt said the program will shell out $514 million to over 1,900 counties. The money can go to emergency response, schools, social services and other needs.
The program is annual and began in 1977. The amount is based on how many federal acres there are within each county, as well as total population. Interior said some of the money comes from what the department collects from gas leases or grazing fees.
Maricopa County will get about $3.3 million. Pinal County will get almost $1.4 million.
