WHEREAS the Towns for Tomorrow program funding levels of 75 for communities with populations of 5,000 to 15,000 and 80 for communities with populations under 5,000 are presumably established in recognition of the difficulty many small communities face in financing the local share of project costs; AND WHEREAS the funding level for projects in a regional district service area is based on the total combined population of all electoral areas rather than on the population of the service area which will be responsible for the local share of costs, which may be substantially smaller; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government be requested to revise its funding formula for Towns for Tomorrow grants to provide 80 funding for projects where the local share of costs will be financed by a regional district service area that has a population of fewer than 5,000.
MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY RURAL DEVELOPMENT The Ministry continues to work at delivering funding programs that try to meet the needs of local governments in British Columbia. Provincial only programs such as the Towns for Tomorrow program have been developed to help smaller municipalities and recently, regional districts, with their challenges. This includes a cost-share formula of 75-25 and 80-20 provincial-local government contributions as well as flexibility to leverage third party contributions to fund the local government share. Programs such as the Towns for Tomorrow are subject to review. With the recent addition of regional districts as an eligible applicant, there may be opportunities to look at how cost-share formulas are set within the program. Nonetheless, there are still opportunities within these programs to leverage other funding sources, including the Gas Tax Community Works Fund. In addition, with limited funding available and the need always outweighing funding available, it is important for as many communities as possible to realize financial support. Changing the cost-sharing formula may equate to fewer communities that receive funding support. The Ministry also recognizes the need for communities to understand the true costs of infrastructure projects, including the costs associated with operation and maintenance. Having communities responsible for a fair share of an infrastructure project often provides for improved community involvement and better planning and decision making, adding value to every dollar spent.