Cost of Snow Removal. Sioux Falls, We’re One of the Lucky Ones!

This has been a costly winter for cities across the country but here in Sioux Falls, not so bad.

With the start of Spring last week and the prediction of six more weeks of winter from that infamous fur-ball-of-a-prognosticator the timing has been about right.

But the cost of all this snow has added up!

Here in Sioux Falls I put the question to Galynn Huber the Street/Fleet manager of Sioux Falls Public Works.  Huber reported that Fiscal Year 2013 (January 2013 through December 2013) the city of Sioux Falls Budget was $7,185,526.  $63,000 more of what was used.  And for Fiscal Year 2014 $7,397,982 is in the budget.  So far in January and February Sioux Falls has spent $2,257,431.

Now, we've been lucky.  Others not so.

Arkansas has spent $18 million, three times more than during the typical winter.  Illinois is 200 per cent over its three year average and the state of Virginia is $150 million in the red.

That spells bad news for later this year.  Those summer maintenance projects like steet repair will be cut back.

I guess those potholes will likly get bigger.