Town Manager Institutes Spending Freeze in Light of Snow Costs

To help compensate for the enormously expensive record-breaking snowfall, Town Manager Kathy Eagen recently instituted a spending freeze across all Town departments. Eagen notified staff that only essential purchases – defined as those purchases necessary for the health and safety of employees and residents - would be allowed at this time.

Those necessary expenditures have certainly included the salt, fuel and paid overtime required to keep Farmington’s streets clear during the past few storms.

So far, Eagen said in the Town Council agenda, the town has spent $436,000, including regular pay, fuel and equipment costs. From the snow budget, $191,000 has been spent just on overtime pay and salt purchases. That’s 67 percent of the snow budget for the year, with half of the snow season remaining.

Eagen indicated the spending freeze would be effective at least until March 1, when the budget would be reevaluated to determine if the freeze could be lifted.

“I would like to stress that we do not feel the overall budget is in danger of being overspent at this time. However, based upon where spending is in relationship to the period of the fiscal year we are in, I think it is prudent to act now in controlling spending while there is still time left in the fiscal year to make up any potential shortfalls,” Eagen said.