A Winnipeg city councillor says plans are underway to ensure that the city has more money in its budget to handle annual snow clearing.
Councillor Janice Lukes, chair of the Public Works Committee, told 680 CJOB that between $34 to $36 million is normally budgeted for clearing work. Yet, the yearly average amounts to $54 million, she added.
According to Lukes, it’s difficult to predict how much snow comes down in one season, along with the cost of removal.
“The budget working group this year decided we’re going to put more money in the snow removal budget every year to get up to around $56 to $57 million,” Lukes said.
Last year, the city spent $4.2 million over its budgeted cost of snow clearing, despite it being a milder year for snowfall. In 2022, the budgeted number was $34.7 million, with the actual cost of snow clearing sitting at $87.2 million. Lukes said that when needed, the city accesses funding from its fiscal stabilization reserve, or rainy-day fund. She stated that fund is down to $8 million, with it normally being at $70 million.
The Public Works Committee is set to meet on March 1, tabling an administrative report that numbers the 2024 snow clearing budget at a little over $54 million. The report also reads that one of the recommendations to address an over-exceeding of the budget is to budget for the average cost, rather than low-cost scenario.
“Snow and ice control activities have traditionally been budgeted using the assumption of a ‘low scenario’ and have exceeded adopted budget for the last 10 consecutive years, depleting funds from the Financial Stabilization Reserve fund,” reads part of the report.