In his address to the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) annual convention, Premier Brad Wall confirmed the government will keep its promise to provide annual revenue sharing equal to a full point of the provincial sales tax (PST).
That means Saskatchewan municipalities will receive record revenue sharing of $216.8 million in 2011-12, an increase of nearly $90 million or 70 percent since 2007-08.
Urban municipalities - Saskatchewan's cities, towns, villages and resort communities - will receive $138.7 million this year, an increase of 105 percent since 2007-08.
"The completion of this important promise means that urban revenue sharing has more than doubled since our government took office," Wall said. "That's on top of millions of dollars our government has also provided in infrastructure funding, and to help develop new residential and commercial subdivisions.
"We are working with our municipal partners to keep Saskatchewan growing and moving forward."
This year's revenue sharing is the highest amount of operational funding provided to municipalities by the provincial government in the history of Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan's largest city, Saskatoon, sees municipal revenue sharing increase to $37.8 million in 2011-12 from $29.2 million the previous year. Regina, the provincial capital, has municipal revenue sharing that will grow to $33.5 million in 2011-12, up from $25.9 million the previous year. All Saskatchewan municipalities will see increases, with overall funding based on their population.
"The new funding formula provides a predictable, sustainable way to ensure municipalities know the amount they will receive in the coming years," Wall said. "This will help municipalities with their future planning as they work to improve their communities and the great quality of life we all enjoy in Saskatchewan."
In addition to the increase in municipal revenue sharing, the Premier announced $22 million to go toward flood prevention measures in the province. The Watershed Authority and Ministry of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing (CPSP) will lead the program to help communities prepare for possible spring flooding.
The program will provide assistance in five areas including: technical assistance such as engineering to design flood protection works; building flood protection works such as berms or channels in communities; constructing protective works such as berms around rural residences and farmsteads; sand bagging, and clearing snow and obstructions from channels and culverts; and testing of water supplies impacted by flooding.
Wall said the Watershed Authority and CPSP would work closely with SUMA and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) to finalize and implement the program.
Weyburn City Councillor Nancy Styles and City Manager Bob Smith attended the SUMA conference in Saskatoon from January 30 to February 2.
