Kenora city council tackles roads department challenges

City councillorsin Thunder Bay andKenoraare looking at budgets this week, tryingto balance the need for services with the cost to taxpayers.

On Tuesday Kenora councillorswill decide on whether to add a member to its roads department, where more help isneeded to help keep streets clear, especially during snowy winter months.

• Kenoratogetnew highway maintenance contractor

Kenora Mayor David Canfield says letting private companies manage local roads is an option worth considerationif it saves money and helps residents travel on safe streets.

"We want to make sure that we're maintaining our streets and stuff to a certain level, so that doesn't come back to haunt us through a risk management perspective,"Canfieldsaid.

Using contractors may help Kenora's bottom line, but the mayor says there still isn't enough workers to plow and maintain roads.

"We should either hire another employee or contract a certain portion of the roads out. So, they brought that forward to us, and council's taken a look at it. And, of course, there's lots of questions if we're doing things efficiently,"Canfieldsaid.

Although there's some opposition to hiringthe additional help, the mayor says it's needed.

"People want their taxes lower, but they want better service," he said."So, it's a balancing act, of course, for council."

Councils aim for value

It's an issuecitycouncillorsin Thunder Bay are also having to juggle, as theytoo puttogether their 2016 budget.

Mayor Keith Hobbs agrees with that notion that councillors are forced to make prudent decisions with public funds on the line.

"That's what it's all about keeping the taxpayers happy and the best value for their tax dollar."

In Thunder Bay, an annual citizenship satisfaction survey revealed the vast majority of local homeowners are happy with the value they're getting for their tax dollars.

Hobbs says cuts and growth are on opposite ends of the spectrum when discussing the future of a community, stressing the importance of maintaining staff.

"If you want to grow a city, which we are trying to do as a city council and administration, then certainly, we are not entertaining cuts, we are looking at more staff, eventually, down the road," Hobbs said.

While some are concerned about the productivity of workers, there's one thing for certain: when a snow storm hits, roads will need to be plowed. The question is by who and that will be decided upon by local councils.