District of Barriere will receive $320,000 and District of Clearwater $330,000 from the provincial small community and regional district grants (SCG) program, according to a recent news release.
The grants are part of the Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF), which also includes the traffic fine revenue sharing program (TFRS).
“That’s certainly good news for us,” said Clearwater Mayor John Harwood. “Although we’re still getting the small town grants we’re no longer getting the start-up grants, because we’re into the fourth year since incorporation.”
The money is not earmarked in any way and can be used as the District sees fit, said the mayor. The SCG allocation is based on population and assessment.
“Local issues are understood best by local governments. That’s why programs like the strategic community investment fund make such a difference,” said Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake. “They give local governments the freedom to re-invest money in projects they have identified as priorities.”
Chase, Kamloops, Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality, and Thompson-Nicola Regional District also will be receiving SCIF grants.
The traffic fine revenue sharing program helps larger municipalities such as Kamloops that directly pay for 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 Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program is a great help for Kamloops as well as other municipalities around the province; it’s a major source of funding which helps cover the costs of policing and crime prevention programs,” said Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger.
Learn more about B.C. local governments at www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/
