Early Winter Storms Exhausting City Snow Budget

Spring doesn't arrive for another 10 weeks, but thanks to the recent blizzard, a couple storms in December and spates of icy road conditions, Peabody has already exhausted more than 80 percent of its snow and ice removal budget.

The city budgeted $665,000 this fiscal year, and after the blizzard was cleared away and roads salted and sanded, the Department of Public Services had spent $550,000 -- most of that was on private contractors.

That leaves $115,000 in the account, as of last report from Public Services Director Robert Langley on Friday.

The state, however, allows cities and towns to deficit spend on snow and ice removal and either roll the remaining expenses into next year's budget or utilize reserve funds.

Last year, the city spent about $750,000 on contractors and $290,000 on sand and salt, but saved a substantial amount the year before thanks to a largely snowless winter.

The city spent more than $1 million in 2011, however, on contractors and sand and salt to clean away more than 80 inches of snow.