The final bill for Montgomery County’s snow removal and clean-up efforts last winter has been tallied and the total is more than four times what the county had budgeted.
County Executive Ike Leggett last week sent a memo to the County Council asking for an appropriation of an extra $30,992,549 to pay for snow removal and wind and rain storm cleanup costs totaling more than $40 million.
While the appropriations are a rite of passage after tough winters and the amount requested is expected to be approved, this year’s jump in total costs comes after the record snow storm in late January that brought as much as 38.5 inches of snow to some portions of the county.
The winter of 2014-2015 required approval of an additional $24.8 million last spring for a total of almost $33 million in snow removal and storm cleanup costs.
The county originally budgeted $9,223,749 for snow removal and storm cleanup in the fiscal year 2016 budget.
Leggett’s request came after the county reviewed costs of staff overtime, contractors and extra materials used during and after 14 separate snow and ice events last winter that brought a combined total of about 53.5 inches of snow to the county.
Leggett advised council members that some of the costs related to the Jan. 22-24 storm known as “Jonas” could be reimbursed by the federal government, since the event was officially declared a disaster in Maryland. The county is requesting a reimbursement of $14,270,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, “however this federal funding remains uncertain,” Leggett wrote in the memo.
The vast majority of the county’s total snow removal and storm cleanup costs—$38,318,713 of the $40,216,298—came directly from snow plowing and removal operations.
Leggett recommended the council approve the appropriation by taking the money from one of the county’s undesignated reserve funds. A public hearing on the appropriation request is set for 1:30 p.m. May 17.
