The City of North Battleford issued a news release Monday at 5 p.m. to announce its intention to reduce staffing levels throughout the operations of the city. It did not announce how many positions would be affected, however.
“This type of decision is not one that any organization wants to make,” stated Mayor Ryan Bater. “It affects valued individuals and friends throughout administration. We can assure that the decisions were made in good faith and with every attempt to minimize the impact on employees and the city.”
The release stated that in order to maintain an adequate, acceptable level of service to city residents using the reduced finances available, a difficult decision was made to reduce staffing levels throughout the city including permanent staffing layoffs.
The release stated, “North Battleford City Council has recognized the need to re-establish a strong financial foundation for the city. To accomplish that, the executive management team has seen substantial change with a number of management changes occurring during 2018. At the request of council, administration has been working collaboratively on a lengthy and in-depth review of city operations. The focus was to identify areas where efficiencies could be found and processes changed to bring about organizational efficiencies.”
The release said many areas for improvement have been identified and savings continue to be realized in the 2019 budget, but since then, there have also been decreases in commercial assessment, loss of long-term service agreements, and slowing city-owned land sales to balance our investments. The review also identified areas within city operations where processes such as purchasing procedures could be improved with better checks and balances. These problems have been identified and a plan is in place to improve – over time these improvements will be evident, said the release.
“Service levels that the public have come to expect will be maintained to the best of the city’s ability. These tough decisions are necessary to attain long-term financial stability for the city, and ensure that the city is spending within its means. Rebuilding our foundation going forward will take time but can be accomplished with efficiencies and working together,” the release concluded.
