It’s been almost a decade since the state has increased its payment for land owned by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

That makes next year as good a time as any for those payments to increase.

Legislation introduced recently by Sen. Cris Dush, R-McKean and Elk counties, would increase PILOT payments for DCNR-owned land Chapman State Park and Bureau of Forestry in Warren County – from $2 to $2.85 per acre while property owned by the Game Commission – state game lands – and Fish and Boat Commission – like the Starbrick boat launch – would increase from $1.20 to $1.70 per acre.

Increasing any payments is far from a certainty in the state Legislature given the amount of court-ordered investment in state schools. But those who see what is happening to their tax assessments realize the state should be held to the same type of standard that property owners are. If our assessments are going up, as will the associated taxes, then the same should happen to state-owned property in Warren County and the rest of the state. There is also an issue of fairness for local taxpayers because state-mandated costs on cities, counties and school districts keep going up while the money they receive for hosting tax-exempt properties does not. That means homeowners are paying more than their fair share as costs go up.

Dush’s bill won’t result in a windfall for local governments, but it would be helpful.