GREENSTONE — After proposed changes to the seniors' transportation service delivery review earlier this year, several residents are worried that the increased fees are going to add extra hardships to their budgets while travelling to Thunder Bay for medical appointments.
During a deputation at this week's council meeting, Barbara Madder expressed that she feels that the “seniors' transportation policy is being rushed for approval” and wants council to consider tabling the policy until an “in-depth review can be completed and that seniors be allowed to have input through a town hall meeting.”
In addition, Madder would like council to consider subitizing the Aging at Home Seniors Transportation policy through municipal tax dollars to ensure that many individuals living on a fixed income can afford the cost to travel for medical appointments.
Currently, the service delivery review proposes a fixed $350 per person for a round trip to Thunder Bay or a similar distance. Before the proposed changes, the medical transportation ranged between $70 to $100.
Fifteen years ago, the municipality agreed to become responsible for providing seniors with medical transportation after the Geraldton Hospital partnered with the Ministry of Health.
In exchange for providing the transportation, the municipality would receive a yearly gas tax refund from the province. The municipality would also collect a portion of the occupant's Ontario Travel Grant to cover the cost of travel expenses.
In her deputation to council, Madder said the Ministry of Health provides a yearly stipend of $25,000 and in 2022, Greenstone received nearly $38,000 in a gas tax refund, which would amount to operating revenue would be close to $63,000 plus the amount received from collecting travel grants from passengers.
Madder outlined to council her personal income as a senior, which includes the Canadian Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and a personal pension plan, but she also explained that many seniors within the community do not have the backing of a personal pension plan.
“If you only received [Old Age Security], then you may be eligible for the full amount of the [Guaranteed Income Supplement]. Seniors who are able to reside in their own homes, still have a household to support and homes to maintain — new shingles on their homes, replacing appliances like washers and dryers, and then the monthly expenses as well. It's not like this is all free money," she said.
"Seniors who live in gear to income housing also pay rent. They pay for phone cable, household expenses, glasses, hearing aids, dental and all on a fixed income. Those who reside in long-term care at the hospital also have expenses.”
Madder explained that her father lived in a long-term care facility on a fixed income, which resulted in him being left with $100 a month for expenses like a telephone, toiletries, clothing, eyeglasses, dental care, and transportation to medical appointments.
“It doesn't matter if our seniors are teachers, doctors, nurses, office workers, labourers, truck drivers, mill workers or custodians. We are and we were the background backbone of our communities. We live here, volunteered here, raised our families here and kept our communities alive and thriving even through the loss of mining and forest industries,” reflected Madder.
“Now, these same people, our seniors no longer make a weekly wage. We all live on fixed incomes. Retirement is supposed to be our golden years. But the municipality is determined to make our final years into a time of financial hardship and struggling to support ourselves.”
Over the past year, the municipality had to make some tough decisions with its operating budget to ensure there was enough of a revenue stream to maintain each ward.
The municipal imposed a six per cent increase in water and sewer, as well as eliminating the 10 per cent senior discount on water and sewer. Property taxes also went up 5.5 per cent and the changes to the billing saw residents paying four times a year instead of six.
Although subsidizing the medical transportation service would benefit seniors greatly, the reasoning behind the $350 flat charge would help the municipality fund a new medical transportation van and pay a full-time driver.
Mayor James McPherson recalled how impressed he was with Madder's deputation, but said the council has a dilemna in front of them when making this decision on the service delivery review.
McPherson said that there are no volunteer drivers to operate the service, maing a full-time paid driver necessary.
“The dilemma is that the travel grant will pay for a portion of it and who's the help those people out who are under financial stress. So that's what we proposed instead of going with the original service that we had. We can no longer do it because they're not volunteer drivers,” said McPherson.
"So, now the municipality says, well, what can we do to do some level of service? And certainly, we've gone through what one proposal, our current proposal, is and that's what she wanted to discuss, and that was, that's fair. It was good points raised. It's created some discussions, some thought, and that's the purpose of having those presentations is to create thought,” added McPherson.