By Lori Ehde
As township gravel roads emerge from their icy layers, township officials are adding up the cost of this winter's snow removal to their budget.
Considering higher-than-normal fuel costs, plus longer labor hours, Beaver Creek Township spent nearly 40 percent more on snow removal this year than during a normal winter, according to past township board chair Peter Bakken.
Like many townships, Beaver Creek came into this bad year on a good budget. With two years of mild winters under the belt, the budget held some reserves.
Keeping up with snow removal is costly, but Bakken said it's cheaper than rebuilding roads in the spring.
"Our goal is in the springtime to keep our roads from falling apart, so we spend more time winging the snow," Bakken said.
"The roads that still have snow on them are still pretty fragile," he said.
Bakken is proud to say Beaver Creek Township didn't close any roads this winter, and residents didn't have to wait more than a day after a storm for their roads to be cleared.
"Beaver Creek Township taxes are one of the highest in the county, but we seem to think we're giving people what they're paying for," Bakken said.
Still, he said it's frustrating to try to keep everyone happy.
"Now we've got so many people who live in the country but expect the same services as those living in town," Bakken said.
Beaver Creek Township hired an extra person part-time this year to help full-time maintainer Bert Kracht keep up.
"If there's anyone who puts his heart and soul into his work, it's Bert, and he gets frustrated when he can't keep up," Bakken said.
"He put in 14-, 16-, and 20-hour days, and on some of those days he'd turn around to find that the wind had blown the road shut behind him."
Darrell Hoeck, chair of Springwater Township, said the snow had a similar effect on the budget there.
"We easily spent twice as much this year as last year," Hoeck said. "In fact, we spent more this year than on the past two years combined. We haven't had a snow bill like this since 1996-97."
The good news is, like Beaver Creek Township, Springwater handled the blow with reserves built up from warmer winters.
"We have money laid aside, so if this happens, it can be absorbed as best as possible," Hoeck said.
The numbers are even more striking for Vienna Township. Last year, it spent about $450 on snow removal. This year, the bills are coming in at about $11,500.
"That's a plus for living on the tundra, I guess," said Vienna Township Clerk Bud Rust.
Rust said Vienna Township contracts with Rich Hubbling, Hardwick, for snow removal, but he said some farmers cleared their own roads and billed the township.
Vienna Township had also built up a reserve, but when it contributed $16,839.38 toward a new fire truck last year, it wiped out the surplus.
"We're going to make it, but it's not as easy as it has been," said Vienna Township Clerk Bud Rust.
Since Luverne Fire Department serves so many rural areas, when it purchased a new pumper last year for nearly $150,000, the townships served by Luverne were asked to pay $130,000 of that bill.
Vienna Township is served by Hardwick, Kenneth and Luverne fire departments, but many of its sections are served by Luverne.
For the second year in a row, Vienna Township officials voted to increase the levy by $5,000 (which amounts to 16.66 percent on $30,000).
According to the Rock County Auditor's Office, Vienna Township was the only one to raise its levy during the March annual meetings.
Unlike county and city levies, townships can increase preliminary levies before final certification in September.
"But the way it looks now we're going to need it," Rust said.