Winter storms take financial toll on government budgets
Chris LaChall/Courier-Post
By WILFORD S. SHAMLIN
Courier-Post Staff
Officials in county and local governments are scrambling to find ways to pay for snow removal as South Jersey braces for its third major storm in two months.
Some are hoping federal assistance will provide some relief. Others are transferring money from other accounts, cutting spending in other areas or turning to volunteers for help.
Medford and Medford Lakes and other Burlington County towns are seeking reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for snow removal expenses for the Dec. 18-19 and hope they can do the same for the Feb. 5-6 storm.
Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency Wednesday for seven South Jersey counties battered by the weekend storm. The declaration for Burlington Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Cape May, Cumberland, Ocean and Atlantic counties allows the state to apply for federal money to help pay for storm-related costs.
New Jersey was declared eligible for federal emergency disaster funding last week for costs related to the December storm.
"It's going to be quite interesting," said Medford Lakes manager Julie Horner-Keizer. "We're trying to be as responsible as we can while clearing roads and cutting down potential hazards. It just means we need to be smarter in other areas."
Dealing with snow
Cherry Hill routinely budgets $400,000 for costs associated with snow removal each year. Dan Keashen, Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt's Chief of Staff believes the township is coming close to exceeding that amount if it hasn't done so already.
Medford hired two outside contractors and must replenish its salt supply as a result of the first two major snow storms, according to Medford's chief financial officer Katherine Burger.
"What we have budgeted keeps changing because we have a temporary budget right now and we keep having snowstorms," Burger said.
She said snow removal costs, including equipment and manpower, total more than $200,000. "We're looking at (budgeting) $300,000 for this year."
By comparison, last year's snow removal costs were roughly $97,000. The town had budgeted $100,000.
Pennsauken has spent about $12,000 on snow removal for last weekend's blizzard, which was in line with what they had expected. But Township Administrator Ed Grochowski said the township may exceed its budget for snow removal with the arrival of this storm.
"We usually budget some overtime for snow removal," Grochowski said. "We have our emergency management on call and we have a lot of our volunteers with the fire department staying over to help."
Voorhees Administrator Larry Spellman said he hopes Christie's state of emergency allows the township to be for snow expenses.
"The good news is that the governor declared the December storm a state of emergency, so we should get a little bit of a refund from that," Spellman said.
Deptford officials are still tallying the costs from the recent storm, said Denise Rose, township manager.
The township has earmarked about $20,000 in snow removal costs in the preliminary 2010 budget. That's the same amount appropriated last year.
The December storm cost the township about $34,000 in personnel expenses and $20,000 more for salt, Rose said. To cover the remainder, the township transferred money from its public works accounts.
Rose said the township would replace the public works fund with any money given for federal assistance for the December storm.
Snow strategy
Gloucester Township contracts out most of its snow removal services. The upside is that in mild winters, the town only spends what it needs. The downside is that in severe winters, the township's budget takes a hit.
"The first storm in December wiped us out," said business administrator Tom Cardis. The township had budgeted $200,000 for contractors and emerged from the storm $200,000 in the red, in addition to spending $87,000 for salt.
Last weekend's blizzard cost an additional $331,000 for contractors and $64,000 for salt.
"It's unprecedented you get that amount of snow in any given year, and then to get it twice and now a third time -- this is ridiculous," Cardis said.
The township's budget is already "very tight" and he has very little flexibility after the third major cleanup of winter, Cardis added. He remained confident that the township's policy of spending only when it has to each winter is "cost-effective."
Haddonfield's tentative budget usually accounts for the possibility of two to three storms per winter.
"Salt is the biggest cost. We're probably going to (exceed) what we use normally," said Mayor Tish Colombi, who is also public works commissioner. "The other thing that can effect us is the timing. This storm is during the week so employees are already at work, but the past two storms were during weekends, which means bringing people in for overtime."
Other costs arise from wear and tear on equipment.
"It's an intense use of the equipment," said Colombi. "It takes a lot of work and time."
Robert Corrales, spokesman for Camden, said the city could recoup some of its snow removal costs for the Dec. 18-19 storm.
"But even as we face another snowstorm, our main concern remains the same -- the health and safety of our residents," Corrales said.
Snow is still piled high from last weekend's blizzard that blanketed the area with 17 to 27 inches of snow and forecasters are predicting 14 to 18 more inches across South Jersey through Thursday morning.
This is the first mid-week storm and officials are asking residents to make it easier on road crews clearing roads by not parking along streets and staying off the road except for extenuating circumstances.
South Jersey needs a little more than nine inches of snow to surpass the 1995-96 winter season as the snowiest on record.
Road crews were also geared up to work overtime through a storm that is expected to bring heavy snowfall and gusty winds.
Cots have been set up in Cherry Hill and Gloucester County public works departments for employees who may need to take a break from plowing and salting roads but officials said that road crews generally are prepared to work long hours at overtime pay.
"At the end of the day, this is our obligation to clear these streets and these guys understand that," Keashen said. "And, to a certain degree, this is what they signed up for."
Another issue of concern in Burlington County was that drifting snow that could cut visibility for road crews who will work 16 hours and then break for eight hours before returning to work.
"As conditions deteriorate, our drivers must also adjust their driving habits to compensate and remain safe. This increases the amount of time it takes them to cover their route," said Loretta O'Donnell, county spokeswoman.
Camden County estimates spending roughly $400,000 on snow removal for last weekend's blizzard.
Gloucester County did not have complete figures on snow removal costs either but $59,000 went to overtime pay, Freeholder Robert Damminger said.
"The weekend storms kill us because every hour of the day and night, they're on overtime," he said.
Staff writers Jeremy Rosen, Rachel Misenko, Jane Roh, George Mast, Deborah Hirsch and Julia Hays contributed to this report. Reach Wilford S. Shamlin at (856) 486-2475 or wshamlin@courierpostonline.com.
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