Abundance Of Winter Storms Proving Costly For New Jersey Towns
By Cleve Bryan
BELLMAWR, N.J. (CBS) -- It's a simple fact: winter storms carry a steep cost.
The Borough of Bellmawr keeps close figures on much they spend each time there is a snow storm and this year budgets are getting busted.
Superintendent of highways Joe Ciano says, "A lot of expenses with salt, a lot of expenses with overtime, a lot of potholes, everything that comes with a bad winter we're getting this year."
This winter Bellmawr's road maintenance department spent $24,000 on overtime and $18,000 on salt. Those amounts are well over their annual budgets and it is only mid-February.
"Obviously something is not going to get done if you're expending all these funds to fight storms. We might not pave one road that we had planned, might have to cut a program here or there."
Asphalt mix and salt aren't the only things in short supply because all this winter's snow storms, blood is also a rare commodity. Throughout the country 770 Red Cross blood drives were cancelled leaving blood banks about 25,000 units short.
Camy Trinidad of Red Cross Burlington and Camden Counties says, "So we're now looking at a storm coming and a situation that can become very, very severe so we're asking the public not to forget to come out and give blood."
The snow's been falling freely but it comes with a very big cost.
