The Rural Municipality of Hanover has learned provincial road improvement funding this year is way down from previous years.

Reeve Stan Toews says they typically receive $400,000 per year through the Municipal Road Improvement Program (MRIP). But this year, Hanover is getting only $134,000.

Toews notes they repaved Pansy Road and rebuilt Aspen Bay in Kleefeld with the expectation that Hanover would receive its usual amount of funding.

"It's a bit of a letdown if you bank on it," admits Toews.

He says some municipalities wait to receive their funding before spending it. But, he says by then contract prices could be higher. Toews says council does not regret spending the money before it arrived.

"I don't think so," he says. "Council is comfortable with the decision they made."

Even though the money has been spent and the funding is less, Toews says he doesn't expect ratepayers will notice this on their taxes. Rather he expects they will find the difference in operations or their reserve funds.

Meanwhile, Toews says he is uncertain what this might mean for road improvement projects being planned for 2019.