Whereas most small communities those with populations of less than 5000 people in British Columbia have small tax bases and limited revenue sources; And whereas the operational costs of the municipal governments and municipal capital projects have increased significantly over the last ten 10 years: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call on the provincial government to increase the funding it provides to small communities through the Small Community Grant program in order to address the actual costs to serve and support British Columbias small communities.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs Housing The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing understands the importance of the Small Community Grant SCG to ensuring the financial viability and sustainability of small communities throughout BC. While the SCG is unconditional, its primary purpose is to ensure adequate funding for professional administration and financial management in small municipalities with limited resources. In recognition of the challenges faced by small local governments, the Province nearly doubled the SCG program from 24 million to nearly 44 million per year between 2006 and 2008. The current value of the annual SCG is nearly 50 million and is paid to 129 municipal governments throughout BC. At this time there are no plans to increase the SCG. Please refer to the governments priorities in Minister Mandate letters and the Throne Speech.