Municipality blows through snow removal budget
Posted Mar 12, 2015 06:02:59 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The city has officially surpassed its budget for snow removal.
Global News reports that as of Feb. 28, Halifax spent nearly $20.2-million after budgeting under $20-million for this fiscal year.
Coun. Waye Mason told Global News he thinks that number will continue to rise.
“What I’m thinking, is probably the snow removal budget and ice removal budget being even higher — will probably land closer to $30-million.”
A city spokesperson told Global the cost overrun is mostly because of employee overtime hours and equipment rentals.
Meanwhile, the Downtown Halifax Business Commission said they understand this winter has been filled with challenging conditions for snow crews.
But spokesperson Paul MacKinnon told the Sheldon MacLeod Show there are building frustrations with removal priorities.
“We get notifications from the city almost every night,” he said. “Where they identify [where they’ll be], and then you come down the next morning and there will really just be a 10-foot swath, that’s all that’s been done on Argyle Street.”
MacKinnon said ice-covered sidewalks have had discouraged Haligonians from going to downtown businesses.
The city has gone over its snow removal budget for the past five years, and some councillors and residents are now wondering if budgets should be adjusted in the future.
