Counties snow budget may be a bit high
The finance department is still adding up the final numbers but the past winter may have pushed the counties’ snow removal budget for 2017 over the limit a bit.
Marc Clermont, public works director for the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR), is waiting for the counties finance department to get back to him with the final figures on all of his department’s operation expenses for the past year. But he thinks he may end up reporting to council a deficit for the snow removal portion of his department’s budget for 2017.
«It’s been a heckuva winter,» Clermont said during a phone interview February 15, adding that last November and December saw a big increase in demand for road salt, to deal with icy conditions on several county roads.
«I do know for a fact that we have been spreading a lot of salt,» he added. «I can’t remember spending so much money just for salt for those two months.»
The UCPR public works supplies budget for winter road maintenance for 2017 was about $2 million. About the same amount is allocated in the 2018 budget and Clermont noted that unusual January and February weather conditions have also resulted in a heavier demand on the salt portion of the winter road maintenance supply cost, along with the plow truck to keep county roads passable during the recent winter storms.
«It’s been quite a month,» Clermont said. «The guys have been really busy.
Budgets for townships
Champlain Township’s winter road main- Les Comtés unis craignent que les coûts de déneigement aient un impact d’importance sur son budget.
tenance budget has seen steady increases over the past three-year period to deal with both snow removal and sand-and-salt work on township roads.
Township Chief Administrator/Treasurer Paula Knudsen provided the budget allocations for 2015 to 2017.
The 2015 budget had $266,209 for snow plowing and $236,097 for sanding and salting of roads in the township. The 2016 allocation was $300,140 for snow removal and $249,020 for sand and salt. Last year’s allocation was $308,088 for snow removal and $250,440 for sand and salt. «
Luc Lalonde, chief administrative officer for Hawkesbury East Township, reported that snow removal has «proceeded smoothly» since the winter began and there will be no impact on the municipal budget.
—With notes from Michel Lamy.