The Province is paying out $63.8 million to local governments, helping to create jobs, stimulate local economies and keep families safe.

In the first Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF) instalment for 2011, communities across B.C. are receiving $30 million in Small Community and Regional District Grants to support investments in local government services. The Province is also providing $30 million in net traffic fine revenues to eligible municipalities.

Local governments will be reimbursed for the carbon taxes they paid in 2010. This amounts to $3.8 million and reflects the Province's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020 through partnerships with local government. Funding is provided through the Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program.

Quick Facts:

• 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, to assist them to provide basic services. Grant amounts are based on a formula that factors in a base amount, population and assessment values. These grants generally apply to municipalities with populations up to 19,000.

• 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:

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

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

Local governments receiving funds through Small Community and Regional District Grants and traffic fine revenues:

http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/downloads/Backgrounder1.pdf

Local governments receiving funds through the Climate Action Revenue Incentive program:

http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/downloads/BackgrounderClimateAction.pdf

Contact:

Jeff Rud
Communications Director
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250 953-3677