Contractors out as C.B.S., Paradise bring services in-house

Two of the province's fastest-growing towns are bringing municipal services back in-house, hoping the moves will save them a significant chunk of cash.

Both Paradise and Conception Bay South are taking on services that had been done by outside contractors.

Paradise Mayor Ralph Wiseman says the town was struggling to attract contractors to help them clear the streets. And when they did, the cost — $350 an hour — was prohibitive.

"We had staff do an analysis of the cost and what we had spent over the years, and decided that we could do it just as cheap ourselves," Wiseman told CBC News.

The town is also bringing garbage collection in-house, after a tender call this year came in at over $2 million. Paradise believes it can do the job itself for half the cost.

In Conception Bay South, starting next week, the town will be picking up the trash.

C.B.S. had always relied on outside help to do its dirty work, but Mayor Woody French says rising costs and a fuss with the contractor prompted council to examine its options.

"Right now, the projections that staff have indicated to us (are) that we'll save probably in the vicinity of $100,000-plus," French said. "And that's a significant amount of money."

French says C.B.S. is looking at doing more and more services in-house —  investing in their own equipment, instead of relying on contractors.