Welcome bonus for county coffers
Flathead County gets a fair amount of money from the federal government each year as compensation for federal land within the county that can’t be taxed. These payments-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILT allocations, have been a good thing for the county and have paid for a number of worthy projects to allow the county to refurbish facilities and keep pace with needed improvements.
Our county roads also have benefited from PILT money, to the tune of $500,000 per year.
This year Flathead got $93,700 more than county officials — hedging their estimates conservatively because of sequestration — had projected. That gives the county a payments-in-lieu-of-taxes balance of $4.65 million.
In a county where 72 percent of the land, or 2.4 million acres is owned by the federal government, it’s only right that the county be compensated for all that nontaxable land. Flathead County has made good use of its PILT money in the past, and we expect the current slate of commissioners to continue distributing that money to projects that make the most sense.
A well-deserved honor
Congratulations are in order for Jason Parce, the state officer of the year for the Montana Association of Chiefs of Police.
Parce is the Kalispell Police Department resource officer at Glacier High School. He’s already known and respected in Kalispell for his work at the school and in alcohol and DUI enforcement — and now he’s known as the top cop in the state.
Parce was nominated for the award for his “values, honesty, integrity and professional competence.” Those traits are witnessed every day by Glacier students, staffers and parents — and are deeply appreciated by the community.
He is the essence of the friendly but firm cop on the beat — a beat that just happens to be a sprawling high school.
Parce was one of three current or former Kalispell officers honored by the state association. Retired Capt. Jim Brenden received the state Life Saving Award and Sgt. Myron Wilson won the medal of valor.
Kudos to all our award-winning officers.
Vote for your favorites
The 2013 Best of the Flathead contest kicks off today, so let us know who your favorite entertainers, stores, restaurants and servers are.
This popular annual poll only works because of you the readers, and voting this year is easier than ever. Just go to www.dailyinterlake.com and look for the “Best of the Flathead” ad and click on it.
Register and start voting! Then look for the winners in a special section on July 28.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.