By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
The town has used about $140,000 of its $250,000 snow and ice budget during the 2025-26 winter season, according to Department of Public Works Director Mark Hollowell.
That figure, however, does not yet include the largest single expense tied to winter weather — salt.
Compared with recent years, Hollowell said this season has landed somewhere in the middle. Snowfall totals and costs are above average compared with the past two winters, but well below levels seen a decade ago.
“Five to 10 years ago, we would have been in deficit spending by Jan. 9,” Hollowell said, referring to the point at which the town would typically exhaust its snow and ice allocation.
Salt prices have continued to climb, increasing this year from $58 per ton to $63 per ton – a 47% jump from $43 per ton in 2012. Contractor plowing rates have also increased as municipalities compete to secure enough drivers.
“We just ordered our first 300 tons of salt yesterday – we try to fill the barn at the end of the season if the salt is at a good price,” said Hollowell.
Budget drivers and controls
Salt remains the largest budget driver, accounting for about 35% of total snow and ice costs. Contractors make up about 30%, while the remaining 35% covers DPW labor and the upkeep of the town’s vehicles used for snow removal.
The $250,000 snow and ice budget supports a mix of personnel, equipment and materials needed to maintain roadways during winter storms. About $75,000 is allocated for DPW labor-related expenses, primarily overtime, while nearly $97,000 is reserved for contractor snow removal. The remaining funds cover vehicle maintenance and materials such as salt, sand and liquid brine.
To help control costs, North Attleborough has implemented several strategies aimed at reducing salt use and contractor reliance. The town operates on a roadway brine program that pre-treats streets before storms, preventing snow from bonding to the pavement and reducing the amount of salt needed afterward.
The DPW has also outfitted several trucks with wing plows, allowing a single vehicle to clear more roadway and eliminating the need for an extra contractor. Other departments assist when available, including school maintenance and parks staff.
“We also have enough trucks that we can have some retirees plow in our trucks for a fraction of what a hired contractor and vehicle cost,” said Hollowell.
According to Hollowell, the town increased its snow and ice budget from $200,000 to $250,000 around 2021. Under state law, once a snow and ice budget is increased, it cannot be reduced – a structure designed to ensure communities remain prepared without tying up unnecessary funds in milder winters.
“Snow and ice is the only item in a town’s budget that can be deficit-spent,” explained Hollowell.
Any unused funds at the end of a mild winter go to free cash, and the following year’s snow and ice budget resets at $250,000. If costs exceed the budget, the town can address the deficit through free cash or carry it forward into the next fiscal year.
To prepare for that possibility, Town Manager Michael Borg sets aside $500,000 in free cash specifically to cover snow and ice-related debts.
“This strategy helps guarantee that we end the fiscal year with little to no debt attached to our snow and ice-clearing operations,” said Borg.
From planning to plowing
Operationally, the DPW aims to have roads cleared within four hours after snowfall ends. Sidewalk clearing typically takes five to eight hours during storms of eight inches or less, though large storms can extend that timeline to several days.
Hollowell explained that the town is divided into roughly 20 plowing routes. Crews focus first on main roads before moving into neighborhoods, making passes in both directions to allow travel. Drivers continue cycling through their routes throughout a storm to keep routes passable and push snow back to the curb.
“Our fleet is in very good condition,” said Hollowell. “We have a lot more ways to deal with larger snowstorms now than we did before, but for the last couple of years we have not had the large 15- to 24-inch storms to be able to use them when they would help the most.”