Title
Supervisor Ranalli recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 022-2015 to request that the 114th Congress reauthorize and fund the Federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 023-2015 to request that the 114th Congress reauthorize and fund the Federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes program; and
3) Direct the Clerk of the Board to forward the adopted Resolutions to the Rural County Representatives of California.
The County of El Dorado is a member of the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC). RCRC works with its thirty-four member counties to advocate on behalf of rural issues at the state and federal levels. Supervisor Ranalli is the Board's appointed representative to RCRC.
RCRC has contacted its member counties to request that their individual Boards of Supervisors adopt Resolutions to assist RCRC in their efforts to advocate for the reauthorization and long-term funding of both the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS Act) and the Federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program.
The County of El Dorado's Fiscal Year 2014-15 Budget anticipates $880,000 in SRS Act (Title I) funding as part of the County's Road Fund, and $300,000 in PILT funding as part of the County's General Fund discretionary revenue. Historically, the County has allocated a portion of the SRS Act funding eligible for firewise and search and rescue activities (per Title III) to the El Dorado County Fire Safe Council and to reimburse the Sheriff for search and rescue activities on federal lands. The County's FY 2014-15 Budget does not anticipate funding for these Title III programs.
Background
The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000 (SRS Act), was enacted by Congress to stabilize funding to counties for road maintenance and public schools in recognition of the decline of revenues from timber sales on federal lands. The SRS Act was effective through the end of 2006; however, Congress granted a one-year extension which provided funding in 2007. The SRS Act was subsequently amended and reauthorized for fiscal years 2008-2011. On July 6, 2012, the SRS Act was reauthorized for federal fiscal year (FY) 2012 as part of Public Law 112-141. In October of 2013, the SRS Act was again reauthorized for federal FY 2013.
The SRS Act contains three Titles relative to County funding:
· Title I (Road and school funding)
· Title II (Funding for federal land projects)
· Title III (Firewise activities/Search and Rescue funding)
The Federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program provides federal payments to local governments in order to help offset losses in property taxes due to nontaxable federal lands within local governments' boundaries. Counties containing National Forests, National Parks, lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), lands dedicated to the use of federal water, National Wildlife Reserves, and inactive or semi-active Army installations are eligible for Federal PILT payments. Federal PILT helps local governments provide firefighting and police protection, construction of public schools and roads, and search and rescue operations.
While Federal PILT expired as a mandatory spending program in early 2014, Congress reauthorized the program and PILT was funded for 2015.
Upon the Board's authorization and the Chair's signature, Resolution 022-2015 and 023-2015 will be forwarded immediately to RCRC to assist in the effort to seek the reauthorization and long-term funding of both the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act and the Federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes program.