Last week, I participated in a funding announcement for three separate projects in our riding: water and sewage projects for St. Brieux, Wakaw, and the RM of Humboldt. These projects were funded as part of the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF).

Now I’m not known to be the biggest fan of government spending on just about anything, but the MRIF program has proven to provide a solid return for taxpayers’ dollars.

MRIF works as a partnership between the three levels of government to support “nuts and bolts” type infrastructure projects. These much needed projects provide basic services in towns and RMs. For example, one group of MRIF projects in our riding was already announced earlier this year: $1.4 million for water, sewer and road improvements in Humboldt and nearby communities (including Watson, Aberdeen, Spalding and Leroy). Such local infrastructure projects are what I describe as “necessary projects” –not the white elephant projects that governments sometimes fund.

One of the reasons why MRIF works is because the infrastructure projects selected are the ones most important to the people who live in those communities. This can be seen by the way the funding formula is designed. It is concentrated on local control.

The funding formula basically works out to 50% from the municipal governments, 37.5% from the federal government and the province kicks in 12.5% of the project cost. This means that the projects which get funded are ultimately those given priority by local councils and administrators, the people who do know best.

The MRIF program works. It provides needed infrastructure funding for local projects. Projects which make a real impact on everyone’s quality of life.

I’m Brad Trost your Member of Parliament in Saskatoon-Humboldt. You can call my office in Saskatoon at 975-6133, or drop by to visit our two offices one in Saskatoon (five days a week) and the other in the Humboldt mall (Tuesdays and Wednesdays). I always appreciate your feedback.