North Aurora increases snow-removal budget

Add North Aurora to the list of towns amending spending plans to account for increased costs of snow removal.

The village board this week agreed to nearly double the budget, in midyear, for what it pays an outside firm to help remove snow from village streets. It had budgeted $115,000 for the firm to handle side streets and cul-de-sacs.

Monday, the board added $100,000 to that budget.

The town's already spent $145,000.

And the village is likely to go over budget on overtime paid to village employees, who handle the main thoroughfares, according to village administrator Sue McLaughlin.

The village, unlike neighboring Batavia, has not cut back on how much it plows side streets or when. But it is trying to save money in its road salt budget by only salting major streets and intersections, and using a pre-treatment containing beet juice on the other areas to prevent ice from forming. "The beet juice mixture seems to be working very well," McLaughlin said. The village paid $100 a ton for the salt it has in stock; if it has to buy more, she expects it could cost as much as $150 a ton.

The village hires an outside firm for snow plowing because it doesn't have the staff to handle the job in a timely manner, McLaughlin said. She said it is more economical for the village than hiring employees.

"In this economy, it just makes it that much harder," McLaughlin said of the increased snow expense. Especially given that the village will lose nearly $100,000 a year in sales tax revenue since the Saturn of North Aurora dealership shut last week, she said.