OC Leg approves 30% increase for towns to plow county roads

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature voted to pay the 10 towns in county 30 percent more in 2027 to plow county roads and do roadside mowing, with 5 percent increases annually in 2028 and 2029.

The 10 towns pushed for the sizable increase citing a dramatic rise in costs for fuel, salt, plow trucks and other equipment. Town officials say they just want to cover their costs for plowing, ice control and roadside mowing for 196.82 miles of county roads. The 30 percent increase will cost the county an additional $471,010 in 2027.

The towns currently get $7,218 a mile for their work on county roads. The new contract starts on Jan. 1 and will give the towns $9,383 per mile for plowing. The county doesn’t have its own fleet of plow trucks and relies on the towns for the snow plowing on roads.

The contract also calls for the towns to be paid $986.52 per mile for roadside mowing in 2027, with 5 percent increases the following two years.

The agreement gives the county and towns an option for another mutually agreed up two-year extension in 2020 and 2031.

The contract states the payments for snow and ice control will be made in June of every year, with the payments for mowing to be paid in three separate payments in June, July and August.