City hopes provincial resort funding program continues

IN BRIEF

Revelstoke city staff are worried they might lose funding in 2017 unless the province extends the benefits of the Resort Municipality Initiative.

Revelstoke first started receiving RMI funds in May 2008, which increased annually from about $420,000 to what they are now at about $650,000. The RMI program was attached to the hotel tax revenue but now it is a separate fund, which the city receives.

The RMI fund annual report was presented to Revelstoke City Council at their Sept. 8 meeting. Read the full report here.

The city is one of 14 resort municipalities in British Columbia that receives this funding but the province extended the RMI funding agreement for one year (to 2017) rather than for the usual five year period. The mayors of all the resort communities have developed a strategy to try and demonstrate the value of the program and persuade the province to continue to extend the program.

The RMI fund has previously helped a number of city projects to go ahead including mountain bike trails, snowmobile facilities, Nordic ski facilities, public art, Grizzly Plaza expansion, a new visitor information centre, trails and bike lanes within the city, and way-finding signage.

Total annual hotel revenues have also increased by over 33% since the inception of the program, which has provided significant economic benefit to the community.

City councillors discussed the worth of the program and the current lobbying efforts at the September 8 council meeting.

“I don’t think it can be said enough that this has been a fantastic program for the community,” said Coun. Aaron Orlando, who encouraged an active lobby in favour of continuing the program by staff and council at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities meeting in late September.