Resolution 7-01M

WHEREAS, there is higher volumes of school bus traffic on municipal roads due to the policy of closing rural schools and busing to larger communities; and

WHEREAS, the resulting increased bus traffic requires a greater portion of our road maintenance and construction budget;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that SARM lobby the Provincial Government to establish a fund to assist municipalities with maintenance and construction costs on designated school bus routes.

Response from Ron Osika, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAH):

MAH provides $11.2 million of unconditional Road Preservation and Construction grants to every rural municipality annually through Rural Revenue Sharing. This combines the former conditional grants for road maintenance, construction and regravelling. Municipal councils determine the spending priorities for these grants. MAH also provides $9.55 million of unconditional Equalization grants to most RMs annually through Rural Revenue Sharing. The spending priorities for these grants are also determined by the municipal councils. Rural municipalities may also require haulers of bulk commodities to enter into haul road maintenance agreements to recover incremental maintenance and loss of road life costs from road users.