Every year the county budgets for snow removal costs, and almost every year, the county spends more than the budgeted amount.
But not this year.
"This obviously was a milder winter than the last few," Howard County Director of Public Works Jim Irvin said. "The magnitude was such that we didn't have to go over the normal amount that's budgeted."
The county's fiscal 2012 operating budget included $885,750 for snow removal and storm-preparation costs. The county spent $714,023, which paid for the pre-winter stock up on salt and the county's response to the few storms that did occur.
William Malone, chief of the county's Bureau of Highways, said there were only three countywide events in which he had to call on all available staff.
"We have 138 pieces of equipment that I can throw on the road, and we have 145 people," he said.
The first two events happened back to back — Jan. 20-21 brought 1 inch of snow and freezing rain, and then Jan. 22-23 brought freezing drizzle. The third event occurred on Feb. 8, in which the county saw about 1.5 inches of snow.
In fiscal 2011, the county budgeted $840,250 but spent nearly $2.4 million to respond to 11 countywide events. In fiscal 2010, the county budgeted $835,850 and spent slightly more than $6 million responding to 11 countywide events, including the infamous "Snowmaggedon" storm in February 2010. In fiscal 2009, the county budgeted $703,700 but spent more than $1.9 million responding to seven countywide events.
It's a rare year when the county does not have to transfer money from reserve funds to pay for snow-removal costs, county Budget Administrator Ray Wacks said.
A part of the costs this year includes the county's response to five "minor" events, in which Malone said he only had to send crews to certain areas of the county: 1) Late August storms caused by Hurricane Irene; 2) Early September storms caused by remnants of Tropical Storm Lee; 3) Oct. 29 — 3 to 4 inches of snow in western Howard County; 4) Feb. 4 — wet snow in the far western end of the county; and 5) Feb. 11 — a wintry mix in areas west of Route 29.
Overall, Malone said, "this was a wonderful winter. This is the mildest one that I remember. Not only was it mild, but the thing that got me was there were not a whole lot of possible events."
Most winters, Malone explained, there are times where he has crews ready to respond to an anticipated storm that never materializes. But this year, with the temperature rarely hovering around freezing, he said, the waiting game rarely happen.
"It was either it came or it didn't," Malone said.