Strings Attached to Rural Tax Support Frustrate Locals

State agencies own vast amounts of rural lands, which limits the tax base for small communities and townships. With the new state budget, those local governments will see more payments to balance out fiscal limitations. The extra funding, a $1.80 increase, comes from slot machine revenues, and state agencies will pay $9 per acre for their land to municipal and county governments, and school districts (split evenly). The payments in lieu of taxes affect the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Game Commission, and the Fish and Boat Commission, and fill in what would otherwise be assessed as property taxes.