September 16, 2009
$1.3 Million to Boost Local Communities

PRINCE GEORGE – The provincial government is providing $1,352,771 to Prince George and surrounding communities to further public safety initiatives and support local government operations.

“A crucial target for our local quality of life is to work towards safer streets and communities,” says Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell. “We are working to speed up the distribution of traffic fine revenue to the local level, so that we can get funds directed at fighting crime faster and more strategically.”  

“We made a commitment to provide communities with traffic fine revenue to assist them in creating safer places for our families to live and work,” says Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond. “In addition, we continue to provide small community grants so that smaller communities can use the resources for important projects and initiatives.”

As part of the Strategic Community Investment Fund, the City of Prince George will receive $656,086 for its portion of traffic fine revenue sharing. The District of Mackenzie will get $31,374 in traffic fine sharing plus a $244,504 small community grant while the Village of McBride gets a $177,107 and the Village of Valemount receives $162,016 in small community grants. In addition, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George will receive $81,684 in its latest installment of provincial funding.

This is the second installment of the Strategic Community Investment Fund, a two-year, $232-million initiative consisting of the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing Program and Small Community and Regional District Grants. Communities received a first payment in Spring 2009 and will receive a third payment in early 2010.

Through the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing Program, the province has provided 100 per cent of net traffic fine revenues to local government since 2004.  Traffic fine revenue comes from fines on violation tickets, with a municipality receiving an amount based on its contribution to total municipal policing costs.  The Small Community and Regional District Grant allocation is calculated based on population and assessment.

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