April 6, 2011
Major Provincial Funding For Tri-Cities Communities

COQUITLAM – The Province has granted $1,769,901 to communities of Anmore, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody as part of a $63.8-million funding infusion to help communities with their spending priorities.

This is being done in three ways:

• Through the Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF), communities across B.C. are receiving $30 million in Small Community and Regional District Grants to support investments in basic local government services.
• In this first SCIF instalment for 2011, the Province is also returning $30 million in net traffic fine revenues to eligible municipalities.
• In addition, being green has paid off in more ways than one as local governments will be reimbursed for the carbon taxes they paid in 2010. This amounts to $3.8 million.

Why this matters:

• The Strategic Community Investment Fund was established to stimulate local economies, create jobs and encourage overall growth.
• The Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program reflects the Province’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020 through partnerships with local government.

Quotes:

"These programs recognize the vital role local governments play in providing public services. This funding infusion will help Anmore, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody each handle the increasing demands of our growing communities."
Port Moody-Coquitlam MLA Iain Black

"One aspect of the Climate Action Revenue Program is reimbursing local governments for carbon taxes they paid last year. This extra funding will go a long way in helping Tri-Cities communities with welcome – and necessary – green initiatives."
Coquitlam-Burke Mountain MLA Douglas Horne

Additional information:

• The Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program assists municipalities that directly pay police enforcement costs. The grants come from ticket fines and court-imposed fines on violation tickets, and the amount of money a municipality receives is based on its contribution to total municipal policing costs.
• The Small Community and Regional District Grants are unconditional grants to local governments that assist them in providing basic services. Grant amounts are based on a formula that factors in a base amount, population and assessment values.
• On Sept. 24, 2008, the Province announced the Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program to offset the carbon tax for local governments that have signed the B.C. Climate Action Charter. To be eligible for the program, communities are required to report annually on the steps they are taking – and progress they have made – to become carbon neutral by 2012.
• Communities that have signed the Climate Action Charter receive a conditional grant equal to 100 per cent of their carbon tax costs to support their climate change efforts.

Learn more about:

B.C. local governments: http://www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/

Climate Action Charter at: http://www.livesmartbc.ca/community/charter.html

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