State Representative Brian Smith has announced that Jefferson and Indiana counties will receive over $252,000 in impact fees from the natural gas industry. Additionally, municipalities within the 66th Legislative District are set to receive nearly $180,000 combined.
Impact fees are additional charges levied on top of regular business taxes paid by corporations in Pennsylvania. These disbursements were established in 2012 to ensure communities affected by drilling receive funding for projects such as road and bridge repairs, housing, and other infrastructure needs.
“These impact fees are figuratively the cherry on top when it comes to the natural gas industry,” Smith stated. “The real benefit it provides is tens of thousands of good jobs and powering our homes and businesses. Improving our communities with these impact fees is just a nice bonus.”
For those interested in a complete list of disbursements to counties and municipalities, this information is available on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s website.
