As snow continues to be plowed, piled and hauled away, the Town of Okotoks is still within their snow removal budget for the year.

The budget has remained a constant for the past few years but varies when it's used, especially during last year's lack of snow.

Transportation Manager Jamie Greenshields says the numbers add up quickly with mother nature.

"Our 2017 budget is typically right around $300,000," he says. "Last year we spent a little less than that, however we had that blast of snow there right over the Christmas holidays and we're still processing some invoices."

When asked if the Town was close to their snow removal budget already into 2017, Greenshields says there's no true answer because it's factored into the entire transportation budget as a whole.

"It's something we would tap into at year end just with our books, we have to seek the bottom line for transportation where we're sitting. We're spread across approximately 10 activities where we're charging time for line painting, crack filling to pothole repairs and so on."

Greenshields says their budget varies from winter to winter but reminds residents, who may think there's not enough, or over spending on snow removal, that the budget cycle for snow removal actually spans over two winters.

"The budget year for example in 2017 we essentially have two winters in that year. We have a winter in quarter one, quarter two and then we also have one in quarter four. So that's how our budget cycle works and sometimes folks tend to forget that it actually spans two winters."

The Town adds that in an emergency situation if the snow removal budget is maxed out, there is an emergency fund of an additional $250,000 if need be.

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