The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

March 26, 2008

Heavy snow leaves some pockets a little light

By Matt Snyder

MERCER COUNTY — The snow has finally started to disappear. But it carried a big price tag in Mercer County this year.

In Hempfield Township, the cost to plow and salt the roads to keep motorists zipping along to their next destination has almost doubled since the 2005-2006 season.

“It could be something we would be concerned about toward the end of the year,” said Hempfield Township Secretary and Treasurer Todd Hittle. “It could be an issue for a lot of municipalities.”

Clark, for instance, spent three times its normal budget on snow removal this year, according to a borough spokeswoman.

A release on the winter maintenance costs for the last three seasons showed that in Hempfield Township the wages, cost of fuel, salt and anti-skid have all jumped up.

The total spent in the 2005-2006 season was $15,581. Last year it popped up to $22,675 and then this year it was $30,598.

Because this years’ budget will also cover snow removal this November and December, some heavy snowfall then could mean trouble, Hittle said.

Hempfield has decided to reach out to the state for some support. “We’re going to lobby our statewide agencies that support us and see if they’ll go to bat,” he said.

But Elam Herr, assistant executive director at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors – a lobbying group for townships – said there’s not much money to be had.

The last time townships saw state cash for snow removal was the winter of 1993, when a state of emergency was declared statewide, Herr said.

PennDOT doesn’t have money to cover its own expenses, Herr said. He said costs on materials are going up, gas prices are going up and it will fall more and more on local property taxes to clear the pavement of ice and snow.

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