“Winter That Wasn’t” Forces Southern New Mexico To Deal With Snow

Snow-removal equipment part of proposed Las Cruces budget

LAS CRUCES — Two winters of colder-than-usual weather and snow has factored into the city’s preliminary budget approved Monday by city council.

The council voted 6-0 to accept a $299 million budget for the city’s 2013 fiscal year, beginning July 1. Included in the budget, for the first time ever in the city’s 160-plus years of existence, is equipment that could be mounted to two four-wheel drive pickup trucks that would enable those to also be used as snow plows.

The line item budgets $5,000 to purchase plows and equipment
that would spread salt or sand.

“During the past two winters, we’ve realized the need for that equipment,” City Manager Robert Garza said. “We grew more and more uncomfortable watching city employees slinging salt and sand out of the back of a pickup truck. That had to be hard on them, and I know it was hard to watch.

Snow-removal equipment part of proposed Las Cruces budget – Las Cruces Sun-News