City Spends More than $900,000 on Snow Removal

Snow has become part of the landscape in Attleboro since the last week in December, when more than a foot of snow fell on the city. That first snowfall not only caused a hassle for residents and area businesses, but it cost the city more than double its $77,000 snow removal budget.

Since then, multiple snowstorms have pummeled the city. Cost to cleanup from the storms cost the city a total of $930,000, according to Mayor Kevin Dumas. That total only reflects payments that have "gone out the door and purchase orders in the system to do repairs."

That number is expected to jump by approximately $621,000, to bring the total spent on snow removal and repairs to $1.5 million or higher by the end of the year. 

The high cost of removal includes everything from paying plow drivers, buying salt and sand and repairing city sanders and plows. Assistant Superintendent Ron Dubuc said it costs the city between $10,000 and $14,000 per inch of snow that falls on 285 miles of the city's streets. 

"It is the only thing in state law you can deficit spend," Dumas said. "You can pay a portion and roll the rest into next year's budget or divvy it up.

"We will not roll all that money into next year’s budget," Dumas assured. "We will pay some of that money."

Attleboro is not alone in its deficit spending for snow removal. Other cities and towns, including Westport, Abington and have received approval or are in the process of getting deficit-spending approval for snow cleanup.