Released on June 3, 2011
Saskatchewan's municipal revenue sharing program is raising national interest among municipalities from throughout Canada at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Saskatchewan's Municipal Affairs Minister Darryl Hickie is attending the conference and the subject of Saskatchewan's unique revenue sharing approach with municipalities, which ties revenue sharing to a percentage of Provincial Sales Tax, is generating considerable discussion.
The Government of Saskatchewan's municipal revenue sharing formula has the equivalent of one full point of the Provincial Sales Tax shared with municipalities. In the current budget year, the first year the formula has been fully implemented, amounting to $216.8 million, a 29.5 per cent increase from the previous year.
"The aspect that municipalities and provinces are finding interesting and innovative is that the revenue sharing formula we developed together, in full partnership with the municipal sector in Saskatchewan, is designed to grow with the economy," Hickie said. "It is a strong signal of our commitment to working together with municipalities, through our government-to-government partnership. It also helps illustrate the Saskatchewan Advantage, where people benefit directly from a strong economy."
This year's municipal revenue sharing is the highest amount of operational funding shared with municipalities by the provincial government in the history of Saskatchewan. Municipal revenue sharing has grown by 70 per cent in Saskatchewan since 2007-08.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual convention is attended by Canada's municipal leaders, industry experts and members of federal, provincial and territorial governments to address issues and discuss solutions common to municipalities across the country. This year's convention, in host city Halifax, Nova Scotia, runs Friday, June 3 through Monday, June 6.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Jeff Welke
Municipal Affairs
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6156