The Northwest BC Resource Benefits Alliance has been working tirelessly to develop an agreement with the provincial government for revenue sharing across local governments in the northwest, from Masset to Vanderhoof. Our rural and remote communities are relied upon to support an influx of new industry and workers, but we need to ensure more of the revenue generated from these activities remains in our region—and the Northwest BC RBA has been fighting for this since it was formed in 2014.
A few of the more recent steps: In 2022, the BC government and the RBA signed a memorandum of understanding and established a joint staff-level working group to develop a shared understanding of the financial challenges of local governments in the region. In 2023, the findings were presented, revealing the challenges of the small property tax base and reliance of RBA communities on senior government grant funding to meet community infrastructure and servicing needs. And yesterday, at last, during the provincial budget 2024 announcement, the province committed $250 million over five years to the 21 local governments that make up the RBA. Funding will support planning and construction of municipal infrastructure such as roads, water, sewer, and other community facilities needed to create livable communities. – City of Terrace release.
Read the Northwest BC Resource Benefits Alliance news release here: https://www.nwresourcebenefits.ca/five-year-250-million-agreement-for-northwest-communities/
