Alberta Government Asking for Public Input on Budget 2012

In a news release yesterday, the Alberta Government announced plans for a budget dialogue with Albertans. Seven regional roundtable discussions will take place in early November with invited community members. Government is also inviting feedback from the wider public on their budget priorities through a survey and written submissions. Background information is available on the Government of Alberta Website.

First Quarter Fiscal Highlights from the Alberta Government: Solid planning and increased revenue lead to lower deficit forecast

In a news release from the Alberta Government, Finance and Enterprise report that revenue is up $2.7B from budget (higher oil prices and near record land sales), expenses are up $650M from budget (mostly for disaster and emergency relief), the projected deficit for 2011/2012 is down $2.7B and the Sustainability Fund is now forecasted to grow by an additional $4.4B.

Mental Health Funding Announced for Schools

The Government of Alberta has announced today that it will be investing $19M in 31 school-based, community supported mental health programs across the province. Funding will also be available for the additional 7 projects that are starting up this year. The $19M will support objectives related to improving services for children and youth at risk outlined on page 19 of the the government's recently released 5-year Health Action Plan. You can read more about this initiative in the Edmonton Journal Article, "Alberta invests $19M in mental health funding for schools" .