The Federal Government has doled out its first of two $29.5-million federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) instalments to the province of Saskatchewan for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Included in the July delivery was the City of Swift Current being allotted approximately $900,000 to use towards supporting community infrastructure projects.

"It's extremely important because we use that to fund previous infrastructure projects," Chief Administrative Officer Tim Marcus said. "Without that funding, we'd be scrambling to find that revenue to support principal and interest payments for those projects."

The funding is based per capita, abiding by the 2016 census numbers.

Swift Current received roughly the same amount as the 2016-17 fiscal year according to Marcus.

"You have some leeway (with the money)," he said. "You can use it the way we have to meet debt payments for projects greater than the amounts you receive, or you can use it on capital projects."

The Town of Maple Creek has received a portion of their $124,000, with the majority ($85,000) still to come.

Maple Creek Mayor Barry Rudd said this year's GTF payout is $2,000 less than last year's forcing the town to "tighten [their] belt on their finances."