Whereas local governments in BC are increasingly reliant on a wide variety of grant programs to support the delivery of services, programs and projects in their jurisdictions; And whereas the administrative burden of managing increasingly complex criteria and requirements, from application to final reporting, can be overwhelming, time consuming and sometimes prohibitive for some local governments: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM encourage the governments of British Columbia and Canada to coordinate their efforts across all grant program streams to establish more consistent and flexible application criteria and deadlines, simplified reporting requirements and provide funding for the general administration of grant programs.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs The Province provides both non-application and application-based grant programs to all local governments in BC. In doing so, the Province tries to strike a balance between the simplicity and flexibility of non-application-based programs with the need for greater transparency and accountability that can only be achieved through application-based programs. The Province understands the concerns of some local governments regarding application fatigue. However, application-based programs are designed to provide strategic funding to address specific and critical infrastructure needs throughout the province. A general non-application program, while simple, cannot ensure that critical infrastructure needs are adequately addressed. Those needs can only be addressed through a rigorous application-based program that involves vetting of individual applications to ensure the proposed project is in line with broader provincial and federal objectives and rules e.g. safe drinking water. The application and reporting requirements are designed to optimize accountability and transparency of funding, and to ensure that local government recipients have met, and continue to meet, specific program conditions. Also, many grant programs are designed and developed in consultation with UBCM and others to ensure that they meet local needs and that the application process is reasonably streamlined while fulfilling federal and provincial mandates. Local governments are encouraged to reach out directly to provincial staff who are available to assist local governments from the application stage up to and including final reporting.