Just two months into 2011, the city is projecting a $600,000 shortfall in its snow removal budget.
Heavy snows that are about twice the seasonal norm have prompted the city to spend nearly twice what was budgeted for outside snow removal contractors.
Within St. Albert’s $2.65-million snow removal budget, about $500,000 is earmarked for outside contractors. Already in 2011 the city has spent $900,000 on contractors, for a $400,000 shortfall.
Other materials and operating costs are pushing the anticipated deficit closer to $600,000, said public works director Glenn Tompolski.
“We should stay within the $600,000 shortfall provided we don’t get any more extreme weather the rest of the year,” he said. “It’s been a challenge for everyone … you just don’t budget to manage that much snow.”
The city’s budget period mirrors the calendar year and so includes parts of two winters. The budget figures mean that if the rest of this winter and the start of the next one are normal, the city will post a deficit of $600,000 in its snow removal budget. The city could gain ground if there is little snow next fall, said city manager Bill Holtby.
The city has a contingency fund which is normally tapped to absorb such one-time expenses. The fund currently sits at about $1.7 million, Holtby said.
Tompolski estimated the city has received about twice its normal snow volume this winter.
The five months from November through March are when the bulk of snow removal activity takes place, with 80 to 90 per cent of contracted services used in the first three months of the year, Tompolski said.
The city finished 2010 slightly over its snow removal budget but within five per cent, Tompolski said.
Mayor Nolan Crouse wasn’t too concerned about the situation that’s unfolding for 2011.
“It’s not surprising that we’re over budget,” he said. “I wish it would stop snowing so we don’t have to go more over budget.”
One of the reasons people move to St. Albert and pay its high property taxes are to get quality service, he added.
“This is what we did, we provided the quality service,” he said.
Coun. Cam MacKay agreed that it was money well spent.
“We had an awful lot of snow this year and we had a lot better roads than Edmonton,” he said. “I’d be a big advocate of spending that money because it sure did a lot of folks a lot of good.
