With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, both federal and provincial governments have indicated that stimulus funding will be prioritized to promote much needed investment in infrastructure and to support the economy. In recent town hall meetings hosted by the Government of Alberta, municipalities have been encouraged to send information on “shovel-ready” projects to inform the ministry in the development of a municipal stimulus funding program. Municipalities interested in submitting examples of shovel-ready projects to the Honourable Kaycee Madu, Minister of Municipal Affairs, are encouraged to do so by email to minister.municipalaffairs@gov.ab.ca.
The RMA has submitted positions to the Government of Alberta for consideration in the design and implementation of provincial stimulus funding focused for municipalities, which emphasize that utilizing existing programs, such as the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) and the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP), for funding delivery is preferred.
RMA positions include:
- That new provincial funding be allocated to support stimulus projects;
- That this funding be implemented using the allocation formula and guidelines of the existing MSI program;
- That this funding be a multi-year investment with funding front-loaded in the 2020 – 2021 budget year, with cash-flow provided to municipalities for projects over the next one to three years; and
- That existing grant programs that currently support infrastructure investment, including STIP, Water for Life, and the Alberta Municipal Water and Wastewater Program, be utilized to deliver stimulus funding; however, that previously committed funding amounts and application processes for these existing grant programs not be modified to accommodate stimulus funding top-ups.
The RMA has also been actively involved with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in the development of recommendations for federal stimulus funding. Ensuring that federal funds can be easily accessed by municipalities during this challenging time is an ongoing priority.
For enquiries, please contact:
Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com
Gerald Rhodes
Executive Director
gerald@RMAlberta.com