Whereas water improvement districts were established as a form of local government: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM encourage the provincial government to provide access to grant funding for water improvement districts similar to the access provided to regional districts.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs Housing Government policy is to encourage existing improvement districts to voluntarily transfer their services to regional districts or municipalities in recognition that other local government structures have many advantages over improvement districts e.g. more robust legislation, better access to financing, broader and integrated powers and more accountability. Ministry efforts are focused on supporting the role of regional districts as the primary local government for rural areas. The Ministry has operated with consistent objectives towards improvement districts for thirty years. Capital grant programs are heavily over-subscribed. Allowing improvement districts to apply would more than double the eligible applicant list and with limited funds available, funding to regional districts and municipalities would be significantly reduced. Many improvement districts would be disadvantaged in applying as they do not have the same resources to apply to the programs, manage the implementation of the capital projects, meet reporting requirements and contract conditions, and carry the construction debt before claims are submitted. Improvement districts are eligible for funding where the improvement district is undergoing conversion to a regional district service area or municipal service. The infrastructure funding is used to defray the capital cost required to bring the service up to current standards.