Polisena: 'We've Run Out Of Money' In Snow-Clearing Budget

Even though warmer weather is forecast this week, Mayor Joseph M. Polisena acknowledges there are still several weeks of winter left — and the town's snow-clearing budget has already been emptied.

"We've run out of money, and so we'll take the money out of other departments that haven't spent it" to cover future snow-clearing costs, Polisena said in an interview at on Monday morning.

The town's Department of Public Works crews are clearing drains and cleaning off manholes throughout the town, plus there's still the work of removing the grimy piles of ice and snow that fall into roadways as they melt, Polisena explained.

Final costs of the town's most recent response to winter weather aren't tallied up yet, Polisena said, but it's clear that the town's line item for snow removal and plowing has dried up.

The mayor agreed that predicting how much money is needed from year to year is tricky, since every winter is different. And as the town begins its preparations for the 2011-12 municipal spending plan, Polisena said he's planning to propose a bigger budget for snow removal.

"We'll try to put more (money) into the budget and hope we don't get caught short," said Polisena, who repeated earlier statements that he intends to look into cost-saving measures like purchasing new equipment for the town instead of paying contractors.

Polisena, while acknowledging that streets must be cleared and residents' safety must be protected, also bemoaned the loss of money to the fickle weather.

"When I drive around town, the hair on the back of my neck goes up because I'm looking at money that's just in the street," Polisena said. "It's like getting money and throwing it in the street — but it's part of doing business."