'It's so wrong': Opposition to city administration's cost savings plan mounts ahead of presentation to council
A cost-savings initiative proposed by City of Edmonton administration is receiving some pushback one week before it's presented to city council.
City administration says its Reimagine Services project will save taxpayers $16 million over the next five years.
But the union representing city workers says some of the proposed strategy's ideas will hurt Edmontonians.
"City administration has forgotten what makes Edmonton great," CUPE Local 30 president John Marvyn told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.
PROPOSED COST-SAVING MEASURES
Among the 18 proposed cost-saving measures within the plan is the privatization of some city services.
City golf courses and some older arenas and pools could be privatized, meaning staffing at those facilities would no longer be the city's responsibility.
"It's all about keeping our public services public," said Marvyn. "Anytime that it's been privatized in the past it has been demonstrated that the contractors don't run it as well as the city."
Marvyn worries contracting services out will push Edmonton taxpayers' money outside city limits.
"When we contract it out, we're paying for a profit margin with the business companies and a lot of those dollars don't end up in Edmonton or Alberta," he said.
At least one city councillor agrees with the union.
"I'm a business guy," Ward 11 Coun. Mike Nickel told CTV News Edmonton. "I will tell you, just contracting out is not always giving you the best value."
"You need to have a balance between unionized and non-unionized work in the city, that's how you manage costs," he said. "Sometimes the public sector adds better value because they add to the service."
The city is also planning to cut back on grass mowing, its vehicle fleet and programs with low enrolment.
Ward 7 Coun. Tony Caterina says when the pandemic hit, council did ask administration to look for cost savings, but told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday most of the proposed changes wouldn’t be worthwhile.
"The amounts that we’re saving from some of these suggestions is really so small that you can’t even measure it as a percentage point," Caterina said.
PROPOSED PAID PARKING
On Wednesday, Ward 3 Coun. Jon Dziadyk spoke out against the Reimagine Services project's proposal to charge parking fees at city parks and attractions.
A day later, Nickel echoed his colleagues complaints.
"This idea of paid parking to go to a park to me is absurd," Nickel told CTV News Edmonton. "It's over the top absurd and it actually makes me very angry."
"You're punishing people on low incomes, single moms and so on, that want to use a public park," he said. "I just think it's so wrong."
The city tells CTV News Edmonton it paid accounting firm KPMG $997,500 to do the research behind the report.
A CTV News Edmonton request to interview the city manager about the proposal on Thursday was denied.
Administration's plan will be presented to city council on Tuesday.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.