With four significant snowstorms since the day after Christmas, snow budgets across the state are squeezed.
Hartford received 22 inches of snow. While the final figures are not yet in, Mayor Pedro Segarra said the city is close to reaching its annual snow removal budget of $340,000 if it has not already exceeded it.
“Given the amount of snow we have had, I can with some degree of confidence tell you if we're not finished with that budget we're close to it,” Segarra said.
The money needed to clean up future storms this winter must now be drawn from other city accounts, Segarra said.
Gov. Dannel Malloy said he has not yet heard from cities and towns asking for money to help with snow removal, but the state is operating under a huge deficit so state help is unlikely. He is hoping for federal aid.
“That's going to be a tough one to entertain given our own circumstances, I can assure you, I wont ask any of them help in paying for our expenses," Malloy said.
On the flip side, New Britain has not tapped it’s budget, even with Wednesday's storm dumping two feet on them.
“We're over a third through our budget, 53 probably close to 43 to 44 percent to date,” Mayor Timothy Stewart said.
New Britain has a snow budget of close to half a million dollars and, at this point, they're not asking for aid.
“I would say no, not at this point. If the state is going to come asking us for our receipts for our snowstorm in trying to get us some federal money, we'll always help. There's no question about that,” Stewart said.
With still two more months of winter to go, towns and communities are bracing for more snow, all the while, keeping an eye on their budgets.
