Humboldt’s finances are better off after a cut in last year’s provincial budget was reversed for 2018 - but not all lost provincial funding has been restored.

The province is once again dispersing SaskEnergy surcharge revenue - often mistakenly called grant-in-lieu funding - that was taken away in 2017.

However, SaskPower surcharge money hasn’t been brought back, Humboldt city manager Joe Day said.

“We are working with (the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association) and our partners to keep lobbying with the province to see if we can get that restored from what was taken away last year.”

The surcharges stem from municipalities’ handover of their energy utilities to those Crown corporations decades ago, Day said. In exchange, cities received money from a five per cent surcharge on customers’ bills.

With the SaskEnergy surcharge cash back on the books, the city is ahead about $120,000 from last year - but with the SaskPower money still missing, it’s out $322,000 from years prior, Day said.

The Crowns will also now pay the equivalent of their property taxes on offices and workshops in every municipality, which works out to an extra $6,000 for Humboldt.

“It’s not a huge amount, but as far as the equity principle, it does support the idea that the province is working towards, trying to create that equity for the cities,” Day said.

While PST revenue sharing was down - it’s based on one point of the PST from two years prior - the city knew it was coming and budgeted appropriately for 2018, Day said.

Day also noted the budget announcement that the province will begin pre-construction and design work for passing lanes on Highway 5 between Highway 2 and Saskatoon.

“The fact that they're still looking at it and trying to figure out what to do is good news. We hope they make that highway safer for sure.”