Released on March 19, 2014
Saskatchewan’s municipalities are receiving $394.6 million in direct provincial support in this year’s Provincial Budget to build communities and enhance the quality of life for their residents. That’s up $32.8 million or 9.1 per cent from the 2013-14 Budget and up $152.7 million or 63.1 per cent from the 2007-08 Budget.“Municipal governments are on the front line in dealing with the opportunities and challenges of growth,” Government Relations Minister Jim Reiter said. “Our funding support continues our strong commitment to our municipal partners as they help us build a dynamic province of safe, vibrant municipalities.”
In 2014-15, a total of $257 million is being allocated in municipal revenue sharing, based on the formula of one point of the Provincial Sales Tax (PST). The allocation represents a slight decrease of 2.8 per cent from the record funding in the last budget and is primarily due to a change in the accounting standard for PST revenue reporting.
Overall, municipal revenue sharing is more than double what it was in 2007, up $129.7 million from the 2007-08 Budget.
Urban revenue sharing for all cities, towns, villages and resort villages will amount to $165.2 million in 2014-15. Revenue sharing for rural municipalities, which includes organized hamlets, will total $72.6 million, and northern municipalities will receive $19.2 million in revenue sharing in the coming fiscal year.
Saskatchewan’s largest city, Saskatoon, will receive municipal revenue sharing of just under $46 million in 2014-15, up 159 per cent from 2007-08. Regina will receive just under $40 million in municipal revenue sharing, up 154 per cent from 2007-08.
Revenue sharing totals for individual municipalities can be viewed at www.gr.gov.sk.ca/revenuesharing.
The Budget provides $90.4 million in provincial support for municipal infrastructure, which is distributed through a number of programs in various ministries.
This includes:
- $50 million from the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport for the Regina stadium project;
- $33.9 million from the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure for rural roads through the municipal roads strategy and the urban connector program;
- $5.5 million from the Ministry of Government Relations for the Saskatchewan Infrastructure Growth Initiative and the provincial share of various federal-provincial municipal infrastructure programs; and
- $1.0 million from the Ministry of Agriculture to rehabilitate irrigation bridges on municipal roads.
An additional $200,000 is being allocated to the Ministry of Government Relations to provide training to government employees to enhance the capacity to support municipalities during major emergencies.
Reiter said the government will be making more infrastructure investments as part of its participation in the recently announced new Building Canada Plan, once final funding details are announced by the federal government.
“We’re committed to being a full partner with the federal government on this important initiative and are just working through details on the funding for the upcoming fiscal year,” Reiter said.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Michael Harrison
Government Relations
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6156
Email: michael.harrison@gov.sk.ca