Despite winning support from a coalition of local governments, the province is not keen to make moves to share gas tax revenue.
The province has released their responses to the list of resolutions endorsed by the Union of B.C. Municipalities' membership during their September convention.
Among them is the Ministry of Finance's dismissal of the resolution spearheaded by Prince George Coun. Brian Skakun to provide municipalities a chance to fund road rehabilitation with a portion of the 7.75 cents per litre the province takes at the pump.
The ministry's response cites the Liberal government's plan to table a balanced budget and their need to make difficult fiscal decisions.
"As a result, at this time government is not considering any new revenue-sharing programs, but certainly recognizes the fiscal issues being faced by local governments," the response reads. "Therefore, we continue to encourage you to work with the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and other ministries as appropriate to arrive at creative solutions to the infrastructure and related issues that you are facing."
The same answer was provided in response to a UBCM-supported ask for a share of resource revenues. Coun. Cameron Stolz headed a related resolution asking the body to lobby the province for resource revenue sharing agreements by local governments that ask for them.
The idea was inspired by the agreement developed by the communities within the Peace River Regional District, which struck an understanding with the B.C. government in 1998.
Their current agreement provides a share of the tax revenue the province collects from new natural resource projects outside of municipal boundaries.
The argument behind such an agreement is that the municipalities provide the supplies, workers and the necessary support services for these industrial projects.
The city's third resolution - led by Coun. Dave Wilbur, to gain more flexibility with the use of federal gas tax funds and use them for infrastructure repair - died on the UBCM convention floor.
