Delta is among the 14 communities in the Lower Mainland that are benefiting from more than $17 million in grants in lieu of municipal property taxes this year.
The City of Delta will be awarded a grant of $35,438.
Each November, the Province pays grants in lieu of property taxes to municipalities and regional districts for services they provide in their communities, such as parks, sewers, roads, fire protection and other infrastructure projects. The grants are for properties owned by the provincial government, such as office buildings, warehouses and courthouses. Municipalities use these grants to fund and maintain priority public services and local infrastructure projects.
Grant calculations are determined under the Municipal Aid Act. Schools and hospitals are exempt from paying municipal property taxes and are not part of the grants-in-lieu calculation. Also excluded from compensation under the Municipal Aid Act are provincial assets, including highways, forests, and parks or land under the control, management or administration of a Crown corporation.
“Through our annual grants-in-lieu program, we’re reimbursing municipalities for the important services they provide to provincial properties so they can fund the services and projects that meet the needs of their communities,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “The funding makes a big difference in communities throughout B.C., particularly now, as local governments and the people they serve navigate the economic impacts of the pandemic.”
