Though two months of winter remain, the state Department of Transportation and some local governments have nearly depleted their annual budgets for handling snow and ice. The transportation department had already spent more than $25 million on managing slippery roadways through the end of last week, much of it during the major storm that began Christmas Day. The department typically gets $30 million for winter work through the fiscal year ending in June.
Detailed cleanup costs for the storm that snarled traffic this week work won’t be available for several more days, but DOT spokesman Steve Abbott said it will likely push the department over the $30 million mark. “We’re not getting help from Mother Nature at all,” he said. The department can tap $10 million in reserves before it has to start searching elsewhere for money. The agency spent less than $30 million each year between 2005 and 2009 before spending a whopping $65.7 million in 2010. Those expenses add just another layer of pressure to a state government that has been looking all over for ways to save money. Budget writers are now preparing to deal with a $3.7 billion budget gap that must be filled for the upcoming fiscal year that starts in July.
It’s a problem for local governments, too. Asheville, for example, has seen four storms since the beginning of December, and crews have only had a few normal-length work days since Christmas, with most days seeing teams managing roadways around the clock. Cathy Ball, the director of Public Works for the city, said she expects that will continue until late Thursday or Friday. The heavy workload is pushing the department’s overtime budget to its annual allotment. And she expects this storm will put the department over its budget for materials. The state’s tally of expenditures offer a glimpse into the most costly areas of cleanup.
Officials have spent the most state money in the mountainous counties of Buncombe and Madison, with each costing about $1.4 million to clean up. Dare County along the Outer Banks has been the least expensive, with just $28,000 in costs.(Mike Baker, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 1/12/11).
