Williams Lake and the Cariboo Regional District will be the benefactor of some provincial funding.
The province announced Williams Lake would receive $217,000 as part of a grant system designed to assist municipalities in the provision of basic service; $99,000 as a part of the province’s Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program; and $12,000 to offset the carbon tax local governments pay.
The CRD will be in receipt of $78,900 to provide basic services and $8,000 to offset the carbon tax it pays. The City says funds received from the province for traffic fines will be allotted to policing and community safety initiatives and the money received as a grant to provide basic services will be funnelled to general revenue.
The province’s 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; the amount of money a municipality receives is based on its contribution to total policing costs. The Small Community and Regional District grants are given to local governments to assist them in providing basic services. It is based on population and assessment values.
The Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program offsets the carbon tax for local governments that have signed the B.C. Climate Action Charter.