Back to SearchOn December 29, 2023, the Community Service Centre (CSC) announced its intention to decrease weekend and evening paratransit services, effective April 1, 2024. The decision was attributed to inflation and escalating fuel costs, as stated by the CSC.
The CSC, a non-profit organization external to the City, is responsible for managing the senior and paratransit transportation services on behalf of the City. Throughout 2023, the City of Prince Albert and the CSC worked to negotiate a contract for 2024/2025 for paratransit and senior transportation services. The City was motivated to finalize the contract prior to budget deliberations, which was met with higher counteroffers from the CSC concerning staff wages and additional backpay for 2022/2023. The timeline for finalizing the contract agreements lapsed without resolution.
“Mr. Powalinsky is no stranger to the City Budget timelines. Completing the negotiations before budget deliberations was not fulfilled. We are also concerned about the discrepancies in the CSC’s budget documentation,” says Sherry Person, City Manager for the City of Prince Albert.
Documentation provided by the CSC to the City on January 25, 2024, revealed a reserve exceeding $35,000 from 2023, indicating that Access Transit operated $37,000 under budget for fuel during the same period.
"The decision to reduce evening and weekend hours is not the City’s. The CSC is choosing to reduce hours," stated Mayor Dionne. "We don’t believe that these service cuts are necessary, and it’s concerning to me that they are choosing to go this route."
Access Transit and senior transportation, funded by the City of Prince Albert, had a 2023 budget allocation of $1.06 million and is categorized as follows:
- $122,640 – Fleet Maintenance
- $571,760 – Access Transit Operations
- $122,300 – From City-funding surplus in previous years
- $69,500 – Senior transportation operations
- $180,400 – Purchase of a new paratransit bus
“The City is committed to providing Seniors and Paratransit service to residents in Prince Albert. Finalizing the agreement with the CSC is an essential priority”, says Mayor Dionne.
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For more information, please contact:
Mayor Dionne
Phone: 306.953.4200
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