The final numbers are in and the City of Quesnel was once again over budget when it comes to snow removal in 2020.
Kari Bolton is the Director of Finance…
“Our budget was one million, 119 thousand. We ended up spending 1, 312 thousand, so we were over budget by 193 thousand but this year.
Bolton says a big chunk of that will be paid for with the new reserve that they brought in…
“This year Council did approve the collecting of a snow levy reserve just to have money when we go over budget, and that levy was 165 thousand so it covers most of the overage.”
Bolton says the remaining 28 thousand will have to come out of the general operating budget.
She says how much of a reserve that they have in 2021 also has to be worked out.
The cost of snow removal has generally been going up in recent years.
The bill in 2019 was even more than this past year at $1,331,608, which was more than 300 thousand dollars over budget and there wasn’t a reserve in place for that year.
Despite raising the budget most years, the city has still been in the red for snow removal now in 10 of the last 12 years.
Looking at 2021 though, Bolton says it has been a lighter year so far, at least for snow removal.
She says there has been some cost related to ice though, and Bolton says the city also has contracts in place to make sure people are on call and available.