The days may be getting longer and temperatures warmer, but Long Island municipalities are still reckoning with the financial fallout from this winter’s snow removal and road maintenance costs—expenses that, in many cases, have far exceeded budget projections.

Across Nassau and Suffolk counties, public works departments report that repeated freeze-thaw cycles and multiple storms significantly increased both operating costs and infrastructure damage.

In Massapequa Park, officials estimate snow removal costs more than doubled, rising from about $95,000 last year to $230,000 this year. Pothole repair costs also ticked upward, from $8,300 to more than $10,000.

At the Town of Oyster Bay, officials said snow removal costs climbed from $1.249 million last year to more than $2.35 million this year.

In Suffolk, Babylon Town reported a 113% increase, with costs rising from $581,000 to a projected $1.42 million.

Amityville Village saw even sharper jumps: snow-related costs totaled $30,434 in 2023–24, then rose to $38,000 the following year before surging to approximately $128,000 this winter. Overtime alone jumped from $29,300 to $111,402.

In Babylon Village, snow-related spending increased from $38,000 in 2023–24 to $49,852 in 2024–25, with an estimated $170,000 expected this year, not including roughly $2,700 in asphalt for pothole repairs.

Officials say snow removal remains one of the costliest seasonal obligations for municipalities, driven by labor, overtime, salt and brine, fuel, and equipment wear. Rapidly occurring storms and freeze-thaw conditions further strain resources, often forcing emergency purchases and reallocations from other infrastructure accounts.

Meanwhile with winter behind them, officials say the focus now turns to repairing roadways and absorbing the lingering costs of a season that continues to stretch municipal budgets.

In Suffolk County officials are asking for the public’s help in reporting serious road conditions by having them call Suffolk 311 where dispatchers are available during the day to connect them to county services and intake road maintenance requests. They can also go online to: suffolk.my.site.com/ public/s/

Source: Massapequa Post