The provincial government has just announced their newest round of annual grants in lieu of property taxes, which totals $17.3 million for Lower Mainland municipalities this year.
These yearly grants are distributed every November and are meant to reimburse municipalities for the public services they offer to their citizens, such as roads, parks, fire protection, and other local infrastructure.
“Through our annual grants-in-lieu program, we’re supporting the essential work local governments do to build stronger communities and provide the services people depend on,” said Minister of Citizens’ Services, Lisa Beare, in an official statement.
“This funding helps improve people’s lives by giving municipalities extra resources to plan, enhance and build vital local services and amenities.”
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Maple Ridge received the second-highest grant amount in the Lower Mainland, and fifth-highest in the entire province, getting a total of $861,366 from the province.
This is a drop of more than $100,000 from the previous year, when the city received nearly a million dollars in provincial grants in lieu of municipal property tax.
“These grants are important to local governments as we have significant needs in the community for infrastructure for a growing Maple Ridge,” said Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy. “The grants in lieu program is an investment in communities, and we are pleased to have this funding available as we move into the financial planning for 2023 and beyond to deliver essential services to our community.”
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