Bad Winter Puts Medford in $732K Budget Deficit

An historically harsh winter has put Medford in the red.

At a press conference Friday, Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn announced the city has a $732,000 deficit in its winter operations budget for the current fiscal year.

"That's probably an average figure for most of the communities of our size around us," McGlynn said.

It's due to what McGlynn said was the fifth-most severe winter in terms of overall snowfall for Medford since 1892, the first year it was recorded.

McGlynn said the city originally budgeted around $300,000 for winter operations, and the city was over budget even before the massive February blizzard that dropped two feet of snow on the city.

The deficit comes from labor and contract costs, oil, gas, sand, salt, repairs and the cost of new plows.

Medford's in much better shape compared to the state, which McGlynn said finds itself in a $110 million hole due to the bad winter.

While the state can present a supplemental budget to erase its deficit, McGlynn said cities either have to find a way to eliminate the deficit or they can carry it over to next year's budget.

If the city goes the latter route, however, Medford won't be able to spend whatever the dollar amount they carry over in next year's budget.

"My goal is to try and eliminate it," McGlynn said.

McGlynn said some relief could come from the federal government. He said Middlesex County has received a disaster declaration from President Barack Obama for the February blizzard and a May 2 meeting will determine the guidelines for federal reimbursements.

McGlynn is hopeful the city can recoup 75 cents on the dollar for the cost of the blizzard.

"We won't know until they set their guidelines," he said.