It is time for the Taber Handibus Association to get its act together once and for all.
At town council’s May 3 meeting, councillors and town administration learned the association had put $10,000 down on a new bus. This bus is to replace the one which had previously been in an accident and as such, had been taken out of service.
The new bus, coming from south of the border, should be in town in about a month.
That certainly is good news for those who use the service but what is not good news, is the fact the purchase was made with no consultation with the town.
Those on council, rightfully so, questioned why such a major decision was made without that consultation.
In the end, council agreed to give over $60,000 for the purchase of the bus. But imagine, if you will, if council decided not to go ahead with the funds. What, exactly, would have happened then, with the bus on order and work likely already being started to make it safety compliant for Canada?
To top it off, council learned the association is facing a budget shortfall of about $18,000. Councillors also brought up a few budget items in the list of the association’s expenditures which were deemed questionable.  
In the past few years, council has chipped in extra funds repeatedly to keep the association going, as the service the handibus provides is certainly important to our community.
However, the time has come for some serious questions to be asked.
The association has been shorthanded for quite some time with board members, which has put a strain on those left behind to pick up the pieces. It is certainly understandable, with seemingly everyone leading extremely busy lives today, that not everything can run 100-per-cent smoothly.
Handibus association board members are volunteers, and are stretched thin like everyone else.
Steps are being made, with new board members now on board, to get out and do more fundraising and apply for grants, to make the association more self-sufficient.  Those are certainly positive developments.
However, more accountability is needed, on both sides of the equation. The town, for its part, must clearly outline what it expects of the association, and make a definite point to ensure it is known major decisions must go through the town.
The association has a responsibility to communicate with the town as well, and keep council and administration informed of its dealings.
One step is being taken towards this accountability, as the association has been directed to appear before council, before the first August meeting, with a more detailed budget breakdown. After all, the town, like all municipalities in Alberta under increased financial pressure, cannot keep writing cheque after cheque, and the handibus association must also get its affairs in order.