City uses up snow budget

Photo: Contributed - City of Vernon

You wouldn't know by looking outside today, but the City of Vernon used up almost 70 per cent of its annual snow and ice control budget last month.

The total cost for January alone came to about $415,000 or almost $275,000 more than the three-year average cost for that month.

Most of that money was attributed to a massive snowfall event on Jan. 4 that cost the city $180,000 for removal and hauling; those costs include contractors who were hired to assist city crews following the near-record snowfall. That day Vernon received over 35 centimetres of snow during a span of 24 hours.

The city’s annual snow and ice control budget for 2015 has been tabbed to be $658,000.

Over the past three years, the average cost of snow and ice removal during the month of January has been about $175,000.

"Any funds not used in years where there is light snowfall are transferred to reserves," said city finance manager Kevin Bertles.